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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27521311">Saberfes!</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calloist/pseuds/Calloist'>Calloist</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fate/stay night &amp; Related Fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:41:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>183</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>342,784</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27521311</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calloist/pseuds/Calloist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A fanfic exploring a Fifth Holy Grail War where every Servant besides Archer was a Pendragon. Each Saberface and Master will forge a bond through the crucible of the Holy Grail War, with some shenanigans occurring as well. Enjoy the story! The story is also uploaded on Wattpad if you have any problems reading it on the Fanfiction site.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 1</p><p>Three command spells. A scream of utter despair. And a Noble Phantasm of holy light that lit up the heavens. The Lesser Grail was utterly annihilated, but left in its place was a gaping hole in the sky, akin to an eclipse. The grail mud escaped from the hole, leaving behind blackened ruins and searing flames. In the midst of this hell, a lone man stumbled around the desolate ruins, desperately searching for someone, anyone, in order to fulfill his broken ideals. The putrid mud continued to pour forth from the maelstrom of evil in the sky, the mud completely consuming the golden king and the empty priest. Even while smoke suffused the air, suffocating the man, and the heat seared his hands and clothes, he still persisted, lifting debris and yelling as hard as he could, to find even just a single survivor. Tears stung at his eyes, and his lungs started reaching their limits, but the sheath protected him with its now limited powers, granting him an extended time limit. And eventually, he found him. The young boy, staggering through the dying and the dead, red hair stained by soot and ashes, with everything burned away except for his body and life.</p><p>A slight distance away, the king and the priest conversed, both with the curse of the mud in their bodies. The priest, having received his wish from the grail, finally found the answer to the question he had held in his heart, understanding the true nature of his twisted self. His laughter reached the heavens, revelling in the absurd comedy of his own existence. Yet, he still craved to understand the why, even after knowing what he was, and so he made a new covenant, to understand the principle behind the man that would later on be known to Emiya Shirou as Kotomine Kirei. Just as he was about to leave, he caught sight of what was once his mortal enemy a short while ago, the man known as the Magus Killer, Emiya Kiritsugu. Seeing his enemy digging up the rubble, putting all his strength into looking for survivors made a scowl appear on the priests face. But in the end, he turned his back on him and left with the king, leaving the Magus Killer to his salvation.</p><p>The boy discarded all of his emotions during his trek through the hell that would be known to the rest of the world as the Great Fire of Fuyuki that took five hundred lives and 134 buildings in a single day. Having lost all hope and energy, he collapsed, preparing to close his eyes and surrender to the sweet call of fatigue that permeated throughout his entire body. As he was about to fall into an eternal sleep, he dredged up all of his remaining strength to stretch his right hand towards the sky, a final prayer for someone, anyone, to save him. In that moment, a warm hand reached out and grasped his hand firmly. With tears falling out of his eyes, the broken man finally found his salvation. A warm light passed between the two, the gift of life given to the boy in the form of a sheath, allowing him to become the one and only survivor of the Great Fire of Fuyuki, Emiya Shirou.</p><p>In the midst of all this chaos, a dark presence in the core of the Holy Grail observed everything that had happened.</p><p>"FUCKJUBSSAGGINGBALLSANDHISWRINKLYANUSPISSONTHEBLONDSTICK-IN-HER-ASSSWORDFREAKANDHERMIDDLEAGEDBROKEASSLOOKINGMASTERWITHTHATSHITTYUNSHAVEDSTUBBLE*! # #!$%#$%%&amp;*(&amp;*(%$:":?" #$" and so on.</p><p>The Extra Class servant Avenger killed in the Third Holy Grail War spat out a flowing stream of curses and swear words, with some choice insults due to the information recently assimilated from Irisviel von Einzbern the homunculus when she became the Lesser Grail. His frustration stemmed from the fact that the damn hypocritical spiky haired man had refused to make a wish and ordered his servant to destroy the Lesser Grail, preventing him from fully manifesting in Fuyuki after the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War.</p><p>After he was killed in the Third Holy Grail War, he was converted into energy and sent to the Greater Grail to serve as fuel for it's "wish-granting" function. However, the perversion of his class wrought by the homunculus magus family the Einzberns caused the Greater Grail to become polluted by his essence, the Zoroastrian god of evil Angra Mainyu. As a result, the Greater Grail became something like a "monkey's paw", still capable of granting wishes, but in the worst way possible. Angra Mainyu, or All the World's Evil, was also realized by the Greater Grail into the god of evil that he was supposed to be summoned as, but incapable of leaving the Greater Grail, instead slumbering within it "like a mother's warm placenta", waiting and searching for opportunities to fully manifest in the world.</p><p>The Fourth Holy Grail War had been his chance, as long as the victor wished for something, he could've manifested by hijacking the energy stored in the Greater Grail. After his attempt was blocked by that man though, he now had to wait for at least another decade for the Fifth Holy Grail War. The only good thing to happen to him was that the monotonous hibernation "he" experienced in the Grail was broken by the absorption of Irisviel's consciousness into the Grail after she became the Lesser Grail, granting a very small shard of him enough self-consciousness to hold a conversation with the last Master in the war Emiya Kiritsugu, in an attempt to convince the man to follow the path he had taken all his life to the very end. He had also met the flashy golden king, Gilgamesh, and having the king acknowledge him was something surprising. In the end, he decided to give Gilgamesh true incarnation and his master, Gilgamesh's mana battery, a second chance at life, since absorbing either of them wouldn't help him meaningfully in any way.</p><p>"Still, that damn bitch and her master…"</p><p>Thoughts of vengeance tugged at the little sense of self-consciousness he retained after Kiritsugu destroyed the Lesser Grail, stoking the flames of fury that naturally existed with the myriad evils of mankind. He would definitely make that man and his servant pay. But how? Kiritsugu was already cursed to feel regret as well as physical pain while the mud slowly poisoned him to death, and his servant Saber had already disappeared. There didn't seem to be much he could do to take revenge on them.</p><p>"Wait...didn't he save someone in the ruins?"</p><p>Avenger thought back to what happened after the Lesser Grail was destroyed. While he wasn't able to fully manifest, the black mud that poured out of the sky was technically still part of him, and he had felt it snuff out many lives. However, one had eluded him somehow, his poison in that person's body cleansed through some unknown means. He knew that the only people who could have possibly survived the fire were the priest, the king and Kiritsugu, and it didn't seem likely for the priest and the king to save anyone. Although since those two were so far from the common sense of man, it was hard to predict their actions. Still, for Kiritsugu, the man who once dreamed of being a Hero of Justice, to save someone was far more likely.</p><p>"In that case, I can just target him instead. That person who he saved, I'll hunt him down and tear out his heart. No, I'll sink him into the abyss of mankind's evils, and have him experience every curse that exists until he breaks from despair or insanity."</p><p>However, there was still a problem, since he was trapped in the Grail and couldn't really do anything. Then inspiration struck.</p><p>"What if I work through the Grail?"</p><p>Just his presence was already enough to make it viable for the Grail to summon anti-heroes, so if he purposefully tweaked the Grail and its underlying systems, he should be able to mess with the Master selection and summoning of Servants. In fact, it was possible he'd be able to summon the same blond swordswoman who destroyed his chance by those maguses who summoned without a catalyst. After all, surely there would be people who were compatible with some version of her recorded in the Throne of Heroes, since it existed outside of the time axis, allowing to cover all time lines possible. As for selecting Masters, the person who Kiritsugu saved already had a karmic connection to the Holy Grail by being the only one to survive the disaster called the Great Fire of Fuyuki caused by the Fourth Holy Grail War. Hopefully, that would be enough for him to be chosen.</p><p>"I also have massive amounts of energy stockpiled in the Greater Grail, since there haven't been any outlets for the energy accumulated through the sacrifice of Servants in the past Holy Grail Wars. Might as well use it to get started on some fail-safes, in case something goes wrong."</p><p>With that, the self-conscious sliver of All the World's Evils started laying the groundwork for the event that would later become known to the Moonlit World as the Fifth Holy Grail War.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 2</p><p>In a castle of the far north, a young girl with white hair stood in a large room, extending one arm towards a magical array drawn on the ground with red liquid. Outside the cold room, an even colder blizzard howled furiously, slamming against the long windows lining the room's walls. The snow outside the window was just as white as the girl's skin, but her hair was a luxurious shade of white beyond even that of the snow.</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Repeat every five times.</p><p>Simply, shatter once filled.</p><p>The magical array on the ground shone brightly, the light growing in intensity with every line. Magical energy gathered in the air, and currents of wind started to blow in the sealed room.</p><p>Silver and iron to the origin. Stone and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone.</p><p>The ancestor is my great master Justeaze.</p><p>The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.</p><p>The Magic Circuits composing 70% of her body lit up, bathing the room in a dull red glow. The Circuits that would later become her Command Spells over her servant even covered her face, giving her a demonic appearance that she normally wouldn't have. Behind her, two maids watched the ritual silently.</p><p>――――I announce.</p><p>Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword.</p><p>In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.</p><p>I hereby swear. I will be all that is good in the eternal world. I will be the disposer of evil in the eternal world.</p><p>The magical energy contained in the array was reaching its limit, whipping the air into a frenzy. The girl's hair whipped wildly with the wind, defying gravity by almost floating in the air, the white hair moving like a frenzied dancer. But the resolve in her eyes never faltered, even with her entire body burning up with the energy flowing through her Circuits. Since she was trying to summon one of the most powerful servants in the war, and so early to boot, the amount of magical power she was channeling would be considered by most other magi to be suicidal. Even so, she was special, a homunculus designed to be the peak of Einzbern homunculi, the future vessel of the Lesser Grail.</p><p>Yet, thou serves with thine eyes clouded in chaos.</p><p>Thou, bound in the cage of madness. I am he who command those chains.</p><p>But the power she wanted would come at a price, in this case the Servants sanity. He or she wouldn't be able to think clearly, and in the worst case communication between the Master and Servant would be impossible. However, the Mad Enhancement class skill for Berserker would grant the Servant an increase to all parameters, raising her chances of victory. Not that victory in the Holy Grail War really mattered to her. No matter what kind of Servant she received, as long as it was strong, she would take it.</p><p>You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance ―――！</p><p>At the very last possible moment, the timeline diverged here. Originally, the homunculus Einzbern Master Illyasviel von Einzbern should have summoned the Berserker Heracles here with a lump of rock from a Greek temple as the catalyst. But somehow, the young girl had taken a liking to black bean paste buns when she was young, back when Kiritsugu was still with her. He had brought a pack of them to the Einzbern castle, she tried them and instantly fell in love. Hence, there was a tray of black bean buns on the ground near the summoning circle, as snacks for her after the summoning ritual per her request. With the strong winds blowing as a result of the magical energy, the black bean buns were swept off the tray and rolled into the magical array at the very last second, just as she was about to finish the chant. Illya noticed it, but it was too late for her to cancel the chant. As she finished the chant, a brilliant flash of light was emitted from the circle, blinding both her and the two maids behind her. All three of them looked away, shielding their eyes with their arms.</p><p>Slowly, the wind abated, and then the air finally stilled. Illya lowered her arm and looked at the results of the ritual.</p><p>There standing in the magical array, was a platinum-blonde haired girl with glasses munching on the black bean buns that had rolled in there moments ago.</p><p>"Mmmfff, I assh o yuu, (chews and swallows), are you my Master?"</p><p>Looking at the girl casually eating her black bean buns in front of her, Illya could only fall to her knees in shock. Behind her, one of the maids, Leysritt, said in a flat voice.</p><p>"We're doomed."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 3</p><p>The Servant followed behind Illya as they navigated the grand hallways of the Einzbern ancestral home, with the two maids bringing up the rear. All the while, Berserker continued munching on black bean buns, never stopping even once, like she was a machine solely designed for the purpose of eating black bean buns. Actually, weren't there only four buns on the tray on the ground? She could've sworn that she'd only requested four black bean buns, but the Servant had already finished at least three and was munching on a fourth while she held another bun in her left hand. She turned around to look at her Servant, only to see her finish the fourth bun and reach into a hidden pocket in her coat and pull out a sixth bun, moving the fifth bun to her lips at the same time and starting the process of consuming it. At that point, Illya just decided to ignore it, treating it as a side-effect of Mad Enhancement. The bigger problem at hand was whether she was strong or not. Even though she didn't really care whether she won or not, she at least wanted to get revenge on the boy who had replaced her at her father's side. She'd take pleasure in making the boy suffer the loneliness and despair she had endured the past ten years through physical means, and having a Servant as an extra tool to achieve that didn't seem too bad. On the off chance that he was chosen as a Master, however unlikely that may be, her own Servant could decimate his Servant, or at least that was what she hoped for.</p><p>With doubts in her heart, she used her privileges as a Master to confirm Berserker's parameters and skills once more.</p><p>Class: Berserker</p><p>Master: Illyasviel von Einzbern</p><p>True Name: ?</p><p>Sex: Female</p><p>Height/Weight: 154cm 42kg</p><p>Alignment:</p><p>Strength: A</p><p>Mana: A+</p><p>Endurance: B</p><p>Luck: C</p><p>Agility: B</p><p>Noble Phantasm: A++</p><p>Class Abilities:</p><p>Mad Enhancement C</p><p>Altreactor A</p><p>Abilities:</p><p>∞ Black Bean Paste EX</p><p>Instinct C</p><p>Sovereign's Invisible Hand C</p><p>Noble Phantasm:</p><p>Cross-Calibur, Black Dragon Twinblade of Victory</p><p>Her eye twitched when she saw the reason behind the supply of black bean buns. In her mind, she flipped off her Servant with gusto. Still, she had to admit that her parameters were actually quite high, with unparalleled strength and mana, while her agility and endurance were decent as well. According to the records the Einzberns kept on past Servants, Artoria Pendragon, the Saber class servant her father had summoned, had similar levels of parameters as well, but Berserker's strength surpassed Artoria's. However, Artoria's A+ Luck was also massively superior to Berserker's, which could become an obstacle in the future. Still, luck only really factored into things like sure-kill Noble Phantasms that could only be dodged with a certain degree of luck, or at least that was what she was taught. But while not rare, it was still uncommon to see such Noble Phantasms in the Holy Grail War. If she was lucky, it could even be possible for none of the servants to have such a Noble Phantasm.</p><p>There were still a few things that she was unsure of, such as the class abilities and her Noble Phantasms. While their names were listed out, the finer details were somehow obscured. However, the biggest problem was that she didn't even know her True Name, so she couldn't tell if she might have some fatal weakness tied to her mythology that her enemies could capitalize on, or perhaps some trump card she could unlock with the right conditions. Her appearance was also quite strange, as she looked like a modern person with the clothes that she wore, defying the regular conventions of the Holy Grail War of exclusively summoning Heroic Spirits of the past.</p><p>"I'm from the future."</p><p>The emotionless voice shook her from her thoughts, actually making her let out a small squeak before she regained composure. Berserker simply continued to stare at her, her pale yellow eyes boring into Illya's ruby red pupils. Illya tried in vain to read her expression, but Berserker remained as unreadable as a statue, except for her mouth, which was still chewing away energetically. Giving up, she turned back around and continued walking towards the dining room where old man Acht, as she privately liked to call him, was waiting. Internally, her mind was in turmoil.</p><p>"How did she read my mind? I'm sure I have mental interference safeguards in my mind that would block any magus under the rank of Brand, yet she bypassed them so casually! But she isn't even a Caster, but a Berserker, so how did she do that? Maybe one of her skills lets her do that? Or perhaps she can also be summoned as a Caster as well, and retained her skills in spellcasting? But if that's the case-"</p><p>"A magus, I am not."</p><p>"What the!?" Illya yelled in her mind. She had just done it again, eavesdropping on her thoughts while avoiding multiple mental traps designed to mentally maim/break/kill intruders. This time though, she didn't show any signs of confusion outwardly, instead choosing to continue walking and stop thinking. If there wasn't anything to pick up, Berserker wouldn't be able to read her mind, was the conclusion she reached. For the rest of the walk, Berserker stayed quiet, choosing to munch on her (infinite?) black bean buns in peace.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 4</p><p>Old man Acht stared at Berserker from the opposite side of the room, as she silently stood in the corner. She had finally finished eating black bean buns, and was now staring into the air, projecting the aura of a natural airhead. With difficulty, he tore his gaze away from the abnormality, and chose to focus on Illya.</p><p>"Is she the Servant you summoned?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Are her parameters and abilities satisfactory?"</p><p>Illya hesitated for a moment.</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Acht noticing the delay, questioned further.</p><p>"Do you know her True Name? I am quite certain this is not Heracles the Servant we hoped to summon, unless the legends were gravely mistaken."</p><p>Illya looked down, biting her lip, before answering.</p><p>"Her True Name is unknown. No matter what I tried, it remained hidden."</p><p>Jubstacheit's face remained stern and unchanged, but Illya had lived with him long enough to know that he was probably disappointed and angered in equal measure. If she concentrated, she could almost see the metaphorical veins popping out on his forehead. Acht himself took a sip of the autumn flush Darjeeling tea he had prepared earlier to celebrate a successful summoning of the strongest Greek hero, but now it served as a way to keep his poker face on.</p><p>"Very well, return to your room with your Servant. I will meet with you later to discuss the preparation of further measures to give our side the advantage."</p><p>With that, Illya, Berserker and her two maids left the room, and Acht returned to his own private quarters.</p><p>Once Acht got back to his quarters, he rechecked the Bounded Fields and enchantments surrounding the room that provided protection. Once he was sure they were functioning properly, he sank to his knees and wailed in anguish.</p><p>"WHHHYYYYYY?"</p><p>He continued to sob while lamenting his continuous failures.</p><p>"In the first Holy Grail War that I participated in, we tried to summon a Divine Spirit, but it turned out all wrong and we got the weakest servant in the whole War. He even had the nerve to insult my beard! The beard I spent centuries grooming! I was willing to let that pass, but then that damn familiar insulted my tea as well! My Darjeeling tea! That erbärmliches schwanzlutschen arschloch! We lost so quickly in that war that even a servant with EX rank agility couldn't catch up to us, but we still had another chance. The Fourth Holy Grail War was in the bag for us, what with us being able to summon the strongest servant, and having access to the legendary sheathe of King Arthur that rendered her invincible. But instead, that ficken substitute Master that we hired betrayed us and doomed all our efforts to naught, ordering his Servant to unleash her Noble Phantasm on the Lesser Grail instead of using them to kill her! May his descendants and their loved ones stew in the worm pits of Makiri Zolgen until the thirtieth generation. Even then, I still had one more shot for this war before I was replaced, and as they say third times the charm, but what do I get? Of all things, an airhead Berserker that loves eating black bean buns! I watched that totgesichtig schoolgirl munch those faulig all the way through each and every hallway, without even stopping once! I stopped watching through my familiars halfway through, since there was no ficken point at all. What was the point of it all? Struggling to win through each and every Grail War, putting out every ounce of ability and resources we had, yet in the end I achieved nothing. Nothing. I was created to reproduce the miracle that achieved the Third Magic, Juzteaze Lizrich von Einzbern, but in the end like my creators I have failed miserably. Wie der Vater, so der Sohn."</p><p>After his rant, he let out a bitter laugh. Sighing deeply, he ordered Margareta, the homunculus maid whose creation he had personally overseen, to come to his room. Lighting the tea incense in the room, he decided to look forward to her superb massages that somehow managed to make even his golem body feel pleasure, and relax for a bit to relieve his emotions.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 5</p><p>Despite her various misgivings regarding Berserker, at the end of the day she was still her Servant, so she decided that she needed to know more about her. As a result, she was sitting on her bed that was nearly twice that of a normal king size. Sitting beside her on the bed was Berserker, wolfing down German sweets in an unhurried and swift manner. The Bienenstich, Rote Grütze with ice-cream, Käsekuchen and more were disappearing at a disturbingly fast pace into her Servants stomach. However, something seemed different from when she was black bean buns earlier. She vaguely had the feeling that Berserker was dissatisfied with the sweets she was eating. But why? Even though they weren't exactly produced by a 3-star Michelin chef, they were still high quality baked goods made with some of the finest ingredients available to the Einzberns. Wait, that wasn't what she wanted to know. Taking a deep breath, Illya decided to start talking.</p><p>Cutting straight to the chase, she asked:</p><p>"What's your True Name?"</p><p>"Heroine X Alter. Ber-Saber class servant, probably."</p><p>The straightforward answer threw Illya off balance before she recovered.</p><p>"What? That can't be right please answer me seriously. Also, what do you mean you're Saber class? You're clearly a Berserker no matter what you try to tell me."</p><p>She double checked just to make sure.</p><p>Class: Berserker</p><p>Master: Illyasviel von Einzbern</p><p>True Name: Mysterious Heroine X (Alter)</p><p>"See, you're a Berser-" and then Illya checked again to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.</p><p>And then she checked a third time.</p><p>"But you can also call me MHX if you want to. Also, isn't it a little bit too cold here, Master? It's almost as cold H*th, and that planet was an ice cube with barely enough life to fill a space cruiser."</p><p>Illya made a controlled effort to reduce the brain rushing to her head as she tried to understand what she had just said. H*th? Space cruiser? MHX? What the hell was she even talking about, a different planet? The little Illya think tank in her brain was furiously scribbling down the information as they tried to make deductions and hypotheses on what her Servant was talking about, from theories ranging from the possibility that she had accidentally summoned a robot from the future to it being the Kaleidoscope messing with her.</p><p>"You don't know what I'm talking about?</p><p>-Don't think. Feel."</p><p>That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Illya instantly face-planted into the bed and started screaming as hard as she could into the bed sheets before she went insane. All her life she had been trained and taught to become the ultimate master, a weapon for the Einzberns. Yet, fate chose to give her this incomprehensible and uncooperative Berserker who like black bean buns. Clearly, this would be the timeline that Zelretch frequently visited since it was so messed up. Her expectations were completely let down by this "Mysterious Heroine X (Alter)". Who shamelessly asked for all the sweets in the castle to be delivered here to serve as "fuel for the Altreactor". In fact, all of Illya's beloved black bean buns had disappeared into a gastronomical black hole.</p><p>In the end, after a few more seemingly profound and yet inscrutable answers to her questions, she decided to go to sleep early, mainly because dealing with Berserker was too mentally taxing, while her internal supply of od was also being siphoned to her Servant. Berserker went into spirit form to save energy as she climbed into bed, burying herself in the fluffy pillows as she slowly nodded off to sleep. As she went into the land of dreams, she reflected that Berserker at least lived up to the reputation of them being notoriously hard to communicate with.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 6</p><p>The searing heat and scorching sunlight forced Illya to crack open her eyes. The first thing she saw were the two suns in the sky, which instantly blinded her. Blinking in confusion, she turned her head to the side while raising an arm to block the sunlight, only to realize she was lying on sand. Slowly, she got up and surveyed her surroundings. And realized she was in the middle of a dessert with not one, but two suns blazing down on her. There were sand dunes stretching as far as the eye could see in every direction, with absolutely no sign of civilization at all.</p><p>Keeping calm, she decided to try activating her Magic Circuits. She visualized a white strand of thread piercing through the eye of the needle, her mental trigger. Yet nothing happened. She tried two more times, but the results were the same. However, she was still aware of their presence in her body, she just couldn't use them.</p><p>"Since I can't use magecraft at all, I need to find somewhere with shade and water before I die from exposure or dehydration." She had woken up wearing her regular clothing, and the layers were already making her sweat, with dark patches appearing on her purple shirt.</p><p>With that in mind, she started walking in a random direction, hoping that she could find someone or something to help her in this barren desert.</p><p>Barely had she taken a few steps when her wish was granted. Far off in front of her, a cloud of dust was being kicked up, and rapidly approaching her. She strained her eyes trying to spot what was in front of her, and when she finally managed to see it's true form past the twin sun's glare, her jaw dropped.</p><p>There were two people riding on a vehicle that she had never seen or even heard of before. It resembled the motorcycles her mother had used to drive on the Einzberns estate, but it had no wheels. It was simply hovering in the air, without a single part visibly touching the ground. Two long rods with metal plates attached at the end made up the front of the vehicle, while the main body looked quite close to that of a motorcycle, but more streamlined.</p><p>The two people riding the bike both wore large ponchos and headwraps stained yellow by the sand, with goggles completely hiding their faces along with the headwraps. However, she could tell from their body features that they were most likely male, with the person seated behind the driver most likely younger due to his smaller size.</p><p>Despite their mysterious appearance and alien vehicle, she wasn't going to let what was possibly her only chance to be saved pass by her, so she ran directly towards them while waving her arms and yelling, doing her best to attract their attention. That was when she noticed that there was another speck kicking up dust behind them, a black dot on the horizon. It looked they were being pursued.</p><p>Within moments, the black dot grew larger, it's speed seemingly surpassing the bike, kicking up and even larger pillar of cloud. The moment she saw who it was, her jaw dropped even further, almost touching the ground.</p><p>It was her servant, Berserker, but wearing completely different clothes. Sh was clad in black themed armor with- no actually it didn't really look that protective at all. Instead, it would be more accurate to call it a bodysuit with pieces of metal attached in different patterns to make it look like armor. She had no idea where she had gotten the futuristic tights from. Her coat was now replaced with a long billowing cloak, and her entire ensemble had red highlights throughout, creating an imposing visage like a menacing S*th Lord. In a remote corner of Illya's mind, she wondered if Berserker was one of those "cosplayers" she'd heard of.</p><p>In spite of her questionable choice of attire, there was no denying the fact that she was fast, incredibly so. If she hadn't seen her parameters earlier, she would've thought Berserker was at least A- rank in agility.</p><p>Gradually, the speeder got closer to Illya, and Berserker caught up to the speeder bit by bit. At this point, Illya realized she was most likely in a dream about her Servants' past. Masters of past Grail Wars had also experienced such dreams, and the Einzbern Masters of the past had records of having such visions in the archives of her family. Still, being able to experience the heat of the desert in a dream wasn't something mentioned in those very archives she had studied day and night.</p><p>There wasn't much she could do it as an observer of the past, so she decided to just sit and watch.</p><p>Within a minute, just several dozen meters away from Illya, Berserker finally managed to get within a few meters of the "bike". Her right hand blurred as she unsheathed her, sword? If swords glowed red and were round cylinders of energy. Wait no, Illya remembered seeing these in a movie she'd watched a long time ago with her parents, one of the fond memories she had of them that she cherished to this day. It was definitely a l*ghtsaber. The red energy blade hummed and spat as it ate the grains of dust swirling in Berserker's wake. She raised her left hand at the same time and blasted red lightning at her targets. The crimson energy lanced through the air, reaching the bike in a blink of an eye. Without even looking back, the driver reached under his poncho with his left hand and pulled out a large sword from his scabbard, reverse holding the sword in the optimal position to block the lightning with perfect timing. There was no wasted movement from the moment of unsheathing, and even when the blade's edge almost touched the passenger, and with the vehicles shaking, the blade remained steady.</p><p>As the crimson lightning coiled around the golden sword, Berserker lifted up her leg smashed her foot into the ground at speeds only a Servant could achieve, raising a billowing cloud of sand that obscured both her quarry and Berserker herself. Not a moment later, the "bike" flew out of the cloud, careening wildly with part of the back half sliced off. Both of the riders leaped off the vehicle and somersaulted in the air, landing perfectly on the ground with their weapons drawn. Bursting out of the dissipating cloud of sand, Berserker charged straight at the older man in one leap, swinging her lightsaber down in an overhead arc. The man blocked it at the last possible second, completely withstanding the formidable amount of kinetic energy she had, with his feet sinking several centimeters into the sand. They held a stalemate for a moment, then Berserker launched a flurry of attacks at the man while mid-air.</p><p>*Clash* *Vuon vuon* *Clang* *Zusha!*</p><p>Every blow was executed with a speed that far surpassed even the most athletic modern human. For all Illya knew, they could have exchanged ten to fifty blows in the span of those few seconds. Her eyes just watered looking at them, struggling to catch up to their movements in vain.</p><p>Berserker suddenly hopped backwards, disengaging to put some distance between them. The man remained on guard, holding his sword with both hands in front of him, the blade pointing upwards at an angle. Berserker gestured with her left hand, forming a claw with her palms skyward, and raised her hand as if lifting something heavy. Slowly, large clumps of sand balled up together tightly rose from the ground, with around half a dozen balls or so. She thrust her hand towards her opponent, and the sand balls flew at him with the speed of a professionally pitched baseball. The man simply opted to cleave them apart, but the moment his blade came into contact with the first ball, it exploded into individual grains of sand, clouding his immediate surroundings. The remaining sand balls impacted on the ground near him one by one, maintaining the cloud. Several heartbeats passed as the man within the cloud stood motionless, waiting for Berserker to make a move. A thick bolt of red lightning courses towards him barely a meter from his face, appearing without warning from the dense cloud of sand surrounding him. He instantly intercepted it, but a bolt of that size couldn't be completely blocked, and some stray currents surged into his body, but the man didn't react at all to the pain. Almost at the same time as the lightning bolt, the ground beneath him erupted as multiple gouts of sand were pulled up by Berserker in an effort to unbalance him. He jumped straight up into the air, straight towards Berserker with his sword swinging around to attack her.</p><p>Before he could even reach her, she raised her hand and made a choking gesture, which instantly stopped him in his tracks mid-air.</p><p>"Kuh!"</p><p>This was the first sound Illya had heard the man make since the fight started. He struggled with all his might to break free of Berserker's telekinetic grip as she slowly approached him with lightsaber in hand. His body twitched and spasmed, but try as he might, he couldn't seem to break through. Berserker walked until she was a meter away from him and stopped. Slowly, she raised her blade until the tip was pointing at the head of the man floating in the air. Illya saw her turn a knob on her lightsaber, and the blade lengthened until it was almost half longer than it was before. As soon as her blade fully extended, she swung at him.</p><p>*Zashin!*</p><p>Before Illya could register what happened, the man broke free of Berserker's grip and slid under the blade, making his upper body parallel to the blade and the ground while his legs remained firmly planted in the sand. As soon as the blade passed him, he dug one hand into the ground and used it as a focal point to launch himself towards Berserker at a low height, his entire body crouched forward while barely skimming across the ground. His sword pointed upwards, ready to pierce her torso, but she was able to bring her blade back around to deflect it to the side. She wasn't able to follow up for the kick that came afterwards, and was blown backwards after the man's right leg sunk deep into her stomach. Her small frame tumbled and bounced across the sand until she came to a somewhat controlled stop tens of meters away.</p><p>"Kah, kuh! You're certainly not easy prey." Berserker said her first words in the dream, coughing between every other word while she did so.</p><p>"I was known as the strongest of the Round Table for a reason, the ideal knight of the Dark R.O.U.N.D.S.. You of all people should know that well." The man's voice sounded relaxed, but his vigilant posture never changed.</p><p>Berserker merely stood back up, undeterred.</p><p>"It seems that I will have to fight seriously to defeat you. Prepare yourself, Lancelot."</p><p>With that, she deactivated her lightsaber. She held it with both hands and closed her eyes, focusing and channeling energy into the hilt. The lightsaber hilt shrank, the crossguard melting into the grip, while the pommel disappeared, growing longer on each side. Like liquid mercury, it lengthened, becoming more of a cylinder than a traditional sword hilt. It eventually stopped, becoming a lightsaber with diametrically parallel designs. A thin metal cylinder the size of the toilet paper roll with several buttons on it, tapering off in a cone towards the emitter that was a disc set at the end of the hilt. Several grooves circled the hilt, allowing for secure gripping. The moment she activated it, two blades extended from both ends. A double-bladed lightsaber, also known as a saberstaff or lightstaff.</p><p>She wasted no time at all after activating it, jumping straight at Lancelot to unleash a flurry of attacks even faster than before. Her movements were completely different as well, her whole body spinning and pivoting frequently, while her hands spun the saberstaff as well, allowing her to make as many as ten consecutive slashes at Lancelot in under a second. Lancelot on the other hand remained calm, deflecting each strike with precision, even with the increased rate of slashes. However, he was being forced to stay on the defensive, unable to attack at all.</p><p>Suddenly, from the side a flare shot up straight into the sky, smoke trailing after it. It went high, creating a signal anyone could see for miles. The fight between the two continued unabated, but Illya stared at the boy who had fired the flare. He'd spectated their fight like her up until now, but after a device on his belt beeped he'd fired the flare. Was he signaling someone?</p><p>She received her answer soon, in the form of noise resembling airplane engines, yet less noisy and more focused. Turning around, she spotted the source of the noise. It was a flying craft, completely unlike anything she'd heard or seen of except in movies she'd watched when she was young. It was saucer shaped, with two front mandibles and a conical cockpit tucked at the side, and some type of propulsors at the back emitting blue light. At this point Illya was no longer surprised, and simply accepted that her Servant was possibly not from Earth at all.</p><p>Even when the spacecraft stopped above the two combatants, they still didn't stop fighting. If anything, the fighting turned even fierce, with Berserker speeding up more and more, her slashes almost weaving the space around her into a cage of light, while her body twisted and spun like a ballerina on steroids. Sand went flying everywhere, and there were many furrows in the ground where the sand had turned into glass from being superheated by her lightsaber. Yet Lancelot still wasn't overwhelmed, exhibiting remarkable skill and flexibility by weaving through her slashes with seemingly impossible movements while combining them with swordsmanship that freely switched between one-handed and two-handed sword wielding, even switching grip styles mid-flip. Despite the myriad blows raining down on him, his poncho remained untouched except for a few singe marks from when he had blocked the bolt of lightning.</p><p>It all came to a sudden halt when laser beams lanced down from the spaceship hovering in the air. The boy had climbed up a ladder dropped from a ramp that led onto the ship, and was now in a lower gun turret shooting at the two of them, mainly aiming at Berserker. The two of them were forced to disengage, jumping back several meters away from each other. But as soon as they stopped, Lancelot jumped straight up, snagging the ladder with his free hand. The ship had already begun to move before he even grabbed it, and it rapidly picked up speed. As they left Berserker behind, Lancelot called out to her.</p><p>"I'm sorry my liege, but I must take my leave from the Round Table now. With your return, the Dark Rounds are in good hands. Also, I wanted to have some famil-." His words were cut off as they left Illya's range of hearing.</p><p>But Berserker still had one last trick up her sleeve. With her ornate sword hilt in her right hand and her other sword in her left, she burst into a sprint towards the rapidly shrinking back of the spaceship. The ground in front of her trembled, and then balls of sand similar to the ones from before rose into the air, forming a stairway into the sky. This time when she jumped on them, they held their shape instead of exploding. She rapidly jumped until the last ball where she visibly exerted all her strength possible and jumped as hard as she could. At the same time, she activated the lightsaber in her left hand and caused energy to overflow from it in a manner similar to Mana Burst, boosting her to even greater speeds. When she reached maximum momentum, she lifted her right arm and chucked the golden lightsaber hilt in the direction of the spaceship. Illya had no way of knowing, but with Berserker's enhanced eyesight she could just barely tell that the hilt had landed and embedded itself on the hull of the spaceship. With any luck, it would stay there for a little while.</p><p>Berserker walked back to where Illya was watching, near the area she had fought in, which was now covered in pits, furrows, streaks of glass and the smell of ozone from her lightsaber. She stopped right next to Illya and pulled out a small rectangular device with few features, consisting of smooth flat surfaces with a few small indentations and buttons on the sides and on both faces. She put her index finger to the back of the device for her moment, and then an artificial voice said "Device unlocked.", after which she started tapping and pressing on the device.</p><p>"I hope the GPS(Galaxy Positioning System) I installed on my "Wicked Holy Sword Necrocalibur" in case I lost it still works."</p><p>Illya watched as she fiddled with the device, before darkness washed her vision and true sleep claimed her consciousness once more.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 7</p><p>She woke up to a bed drenched in sweat, her entire body damp and sticky. The moment she got out of the bed, the cold of the room hit her twice as hard, forcing her to change into new clothes as fast as possible.</p><p>"Berserker, materialize." The moment she gave the order, Berserker appeared.</p><p>"What is thy bidding, my Master?"</p><p>"Servants are supposed to be summoned at their prime, aren't they?"</p><p>Berserker thought for a moment.</p><p>"According to the knowledge given to me by the Grail, this is correct."</p><p>"So you should be in your prime then?"</p><p>"Yes, this is my prime."</p><p>"You don't have any other stronger forms at different ages?"</p><p>" No, I stopped aging at around...18? Yes, 18 years old. Ah, but I still celebrate my birthday, so please give me sweets when that time comes." Berserker replied with a straight face, dead serious.</p><p>"But you're only here for the duration of the Holy Grail War though?" Was what Illya thought as she mentally palmed her face. Still, that meant that it was possible for her to achieve the strengthened form she had seen in the dream she had before then.</p><p>"Alright then, I'll be direct. Berserker, I saw your past in a dream last night and you were clearly a lot stronger in the dream than you are right now. Do you remember how you reached those levels of strength?"</p><p>Berserker nodded.</p><p>"This is the key." She took out a black bean bun from under her coat.</p><p>"This mysterious artifact of untold power was passed down through generations of Dark Lords until it reached my hands, given to me by my master when I reached my full potential. It contains the six fundamental forces of</p><p>Desire (Soul), Sugar (Power), Sales Location (Space), Cost Price (Reality), Production (Time), and Demand (Mind). When all six forced are combined, it becomes an item that (supposedly) grants infinite power to the wielder, the legendary '∞ (Infinity) Black Bean Paste' famed throughout the Galaxy and beyond."</p><p>"At least, that was what my master told me."</p><p>Illya couldn't help but gaze it at skeptically.</p><p>" I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try it out. Let's go outside to see if it works."</p><p>She had after all seen an ability of the same name in Berserker's Servant profile, so it was possible it might achieve something, though she wasn't exactly expecting it to completely transform Berserker. She had watched her consume them en mass with no effect yesterday.</p><p>They went out to a courtyard situated at the front of the castle. It was completely covered in snow, a field of white. Luckily, the snowstorm had abated for now, letting Illya see clearly around the courtyard.</p><p>"Here should be fine. Now, Berserker eat the bun and show me your true strength."</p><p>Berserker complied.</p><p>"Here we go Master, I was waiting for this moment since yesterday! Witness my full might that will end any fight in five seconds!(Disclaimer: only applies to 1-3 star Servants)</p><p>Even though Illya remained unconvinced, Berserker seemed strangely motivated. She swallowed the entire bun whole and closed her eyes, adopting a look of extreme concentration.</p><p>*Whoosh!*</p><p>Strong winds enveloped her body, stirring the snow around her into a frenzy, and her entire body started glowing. Illya widened her eyes, her fists clenched in anticipation as she looked on expectantly.</p><p>The winds became stronger and stronger, while the glow also increased in intensity as well, just like when she summoned her Servant. It ended just as suddenly as it began, with a brilliant flash of light and a blast of air, but Illya managed to avert her eyes in time to avoid getting blinded.</p><p>When she looked back up, her Servant had changed drastically, at least in appearance. She looked exactly the same as she had in her dream, with the menacing black and red bodysuit with metal plates and armour in various places. The red lines glowed faintly, and with Berserker's scarf and glasses gone she looked completely different, almost like a proper Servant. Her right hand held the Wicked Holy Sword Necrocalibur with it's blade activated, humming quietly, while crimson energy formed unstable small arcs of electricity in her left.</p><p>"My power...it's overflowing."</p><p>Illya couldn't believe it. The black bean bun worked! She was such a stark contrast to how she was yesterday, almost like a completely different servant. Magical energy was flowing out of her in waves that stifled the air around her, and it was dense to the point that even the snow was disturbed by them.</p><p>"You're amazing Berserker! I can't believe you're actually this strong! I'll give you all the sweets you want, even my precious black bean buns!" Illya praised her unreservedly with sparkling eyes, almost jumping for joy despite knowing that Acht was probably monitoring her behaviour with a familiar somewhere.</p><p>"R-really? I'm that amazing? To the point that you'll give me all the sweets you have?" Surprisingly, Berserker blushed at her praise, while some drool almost escaped from the corner of her mouth at the words "sweets" before she managed to suck it back in.</p><p>" So if I do really well, you'll even give me luxury Japanese sweets from a long-established candy store every day along with a daily supply of 5kg wasanbon sugar? And if it's not too much to ask for, even a portable Black Round Table-type kotatsu?"</p><p>Normally, Illya would reject these ridiculous demands out of hand, even from her own Servant. But after seeing her Servants strength, she was happy to comply.</p><p>"Of course, I'll buy you the very best Japanese sweets from the most famous of stores for the entire Fifth Holy Grail War. I'll even sign a geis to guarantee it!"</p><p>With that, Berserker was completely fired up.</p><p>"Fufufu. In that case, I will demonstrate my strongest technique right here and now, to prove that your trust in me isn't unfounded. With this move, even if it's an OP Indian demigod that needs to be nerfed before summoning, I'll still pierce them through their core."</p><p>She pulled out her saberstaff and activated it, crouching into a low stance as if to dash forward while her right hand holding the saberstaff was positioned behind her.</p><p>"The summoning of Heroic Spirits begins with Alter and ends with Alter."</p><p>Illya marveled at her as Berserker's magical output suddenly leapt up by several levels, completely blowing away her expectations.</p><p>"This is the road where what lies ahead is shrouded in darkness, the path of the Alter."</p><p>At this point, the energy was literally exploding out of Berserker, manifesting as a red translucent aura like flames with Berserker as the source, crimson lightning dancing around her form.</p><p>"Altreactor, critical limits exceeded."</p><p>Like a bullet, she shot forward towards the forest, a massive blaze of ruby magical energy blasting from her lightsaber propelling her forwards like a rocket, melting all the snow behind her in a straight line. A crater as large as a lorry was created at where she was standing moments ago, testament to the extraordinary strength of her charge.</p><p>"Through my darkness's brilliance, be returned to elementary particles!"</p><p>She roared out the words the moment she reached the forest's edge, and slashed once, twice and thrice near simultaneously, a godlike speed that was just short of reaching heaven itself. The saberstaff slashed through ten trees and cut them into sizable pieces, with all of them flying backwards into other trees and crashing into them, felling those trees with the momentum they had and continuing until they were deep in the forest. Bark fragments and snow flew into the air, turning into a storm of wood and snow that shredded the other trees in the surroundings indiscriminately.</p><p>Berserker continued onwards, swinging her saberstaff over and over with increasing speed and power as her output increased more and more, as if she was trying to cut through the very air itself.</p><p>*ZUSHANZASHINZUSHANZASHINZUSHAN*</p><p>Numerous slashes were made within a few seconds, creating a trail of destruction deep into the forest, like a meteor had cut its path through it. The energy she was outputting even magnified her blade's strength, allowing her to cut things from dozens of meters away, creating a massive killzone all around her. She released one final slash on the ground, at the same time making all the sliced pieces fly up in the air into one big target. She gathered all her energy for one final burst that would release everything she had, striving towards the sword that would even slice a planet in half.</p><p>Her knees bent as she crouched, gathering her energy into her lower half for a massive jump that sent her flying into the air hundreds of meters in a few seconds until she reached the wooden pieces. Drawing back her sword, she charged up all her energy and unleashed everything she had into that one blow.</p><p>"CROSS-CALIBUUURRRR!"</p><p>The name of the Noble Phantasm echoed across the land as a massive star of destruction consumed the wood fragments and seemingly split the sky itself, a crimson sign of death in the sky.</p><p>Far above the cross of energy, Berserker floated in the sky, before the kinetic energy propelling her upwards finally lost to gravity and caused her to plummet. Quickly, she slowed herself down with her "Alter Choke" technique and landed safely, dashing back to her Master with haste.</p><p>"If it's with this, surely Master will reward me with many sweets after seeing my power. With wasanbon sugar and wagashi every day, even attaining Nirvana wouldn't be out of my grasp. Fufufu." She grinned at the thought of all the sweets awaiting her, drool starting to pool in her mouth.</p><p>When she reached the courtyard, she called out to Illya.</p><p>"Master, what did you think? Even though I'm not a buster servant, with my power even a quick Noble Phantasm would be enough to...M-master?"</p><p>Illya was lying face down on the ground, held frail body half sunken into the snow.</p><p>"Master!"</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 8</p><p>Groaning, Illya pushed herself up from the cold metal floor. Her head throbbed as she did so, making it difficult for her to think.</p><p>"Uuh, what happened…"</p><p>She tried to clear her head, shaking it and slapping her cheeks to focus her mind. The sting managed to shake off some of her confusion, but there was still something humming in her head. No, actually it was her entire body that was vibrating. The vibrations were passing through the metal floor and transmitted to her body, her headache having nothing to do with it.</p><p>Taking stock of her surroundings, she realized that once again, she was thrust into a completely unfamiliar environment. She was in a small metal room filled with the smell of grease, steel and burnt wiring, with complicated-looking machinery on the walls, and numerous flashing lights installed on them as well. There were also several gauge and meters, while what looked like control panels stood at each end of the room opposite to each other.</p><p>*Sigh*</p><p>"Looks like I'm in another dream again."</p><p>Still, how did she suddenly fall asleep? She was wide awake when she watched Berserker perform her Noble Phantasm, but then...ah, she fainted. Wait, she fainted? But she had prodigious reserves of magical energy, enough to fuel over twenty years of those gems the Tohsaka's used, and possibly even more! Even if Berserker's mana consumption was still three times that of the average Servant, she could still handle without any difficulty whatsoever. Though the Grail wasn't supporting her Servant, she shouldn't have fainted...unless Berserker's mana consumption had increased to somewhere above her limit? She had sensed mana being redirected to her Servant in large quantities earlier, but she hadn't anticipated that having her in that state would consume THAT much mana.</p><p>There wasn't much point in dwelling in it, Illya thought. All she could do right now was observe the dream. Although, where exactly was she now?</p><p>Without warning, a large tremor shook the room. A red alarm on the ceiling started flashing as sirens blared in and outside the room, creating a cacophony of noise.</p><p>"INTRUDER ALERT, INTRUDER ALERT."</p><p>A synthetic voice repeated the warning over and over, adding to the chaos. Illya hurriedly stood up, searching for an exit as her eyes darted around the room.</p><p>Just as she spotted the door, a faint hissing noise appeared above her. Looking up, she saw the tip of a glowing cylinder poke through the ceiling, looking like it had melted through the metal itself.</p><p>*ZZZssshhhh*</p><p>"That's a lightsaber isn't it?"</p><p>Illya stepped to the side while the lightsaber cut a hole in the ceiling, letting the circle of thick metal ceiling fall to the ground with a "bang". Or that was what she expected, but instead the air suddenly started getting sucked out of the hole, creating an immensely strong wind tugging Illya out of the hole. She barely managed to grab hold of a protruding piece of machinery, but despite her clinging on to it for dear life, inevitably it was only a matter of seconds before she let go.</p><p>She was saved by the entrance of Berserker who jumped into the room through the hole, completely ignoring the wind even though it sent her cloak flapping wildly, and plugged the hole by slamming the circle of metal she just cut out of the ceiling back into the hole. She touched the tip of her red lightsaber to the edges and melted the ceiling, using her sword as a plasma torch to weld the piece of metal back in place. With the room sealed once more, she turned around and walked past Illya, now kneeling on the ground and trembling from the physical exertion, and walked out the exit, kicking the door open and sending it flying off its hinges.</p><p>"W-wait for me!"</p><p>Illya stumbled as she stood up and chased after her Servant, her frail body trying to keep up with Berserker's speed.</p><p>Berserker swiftly strode down metal corridors with bright lights, passing several doors and hatches. Behind her, Illya struggled to follow her pace, jogging as fast as she could, but she still noticed how odd the place looked like. She would've thought they were on a ship, but just now that burst of wind when they were in the room, could they actually be on a... spaceship? After all, Illya had read about vacuums before, and that machinery in the room didn't look like anything a regular ship would have.</p><p>Berserker continued walking with purpose until she reached the end of the corridor, with a large bulkhead in front of her. Drawing Necrocalibur, she cut through it like the ceiling earlier. This time however, after cutting a full circle, she raised her left hand and pointed at the bulkhead.</p><p>*SHOOM-BANG!*</p><p>The cut bulkhead went flying in the room at an incredible velocity, crashing into something metallic in the room. Berserker stepped through the hole, sword drawn, and Illya followed her in.</p><p>Once they entered the room, Illya's gaze was captivated by the view outside the windows. It was space, in all its splendour. Countless stars dotting the darkness, with nebulas, meteors and gas clouds scattered throughout. Much closer than the rest, was a sandy colored planet taking up most of the right side view outside the windows, an awe-inspiring presence that loomed in the distance. Illya had never seen such a view before, and was struck dumb.</p><p>"You managed to track us down and catch up, and you were quick about it too. I'm impressed, your combat skills are formidable, but your tracking ability isn't too shabby either."</p><p>Illya swiveled her head to look at the person who said it. Behind the rows of screens and control stations that had been smashed through by the flying door, stood a man with purple hair, wearing full plate armor and wielding the ornate sword she had seen in the first dream. In other words, it was Lancelot, the Knight of the Lake. Illya noted clinically that he was quite the looker as well.</p><p>Behind him stood a woman whose beauty was akin to her mother's, but more regal. Her straight bangs and flowing hair were the brightest shade of blonde, almost glowing in with the light of the stars, but her face was set in a scowl, marring her features. Nevertheless, Illya could sense a determined resolution from her expression. Next to her stood the boy who had also appeared earlier, now holding a large shield that was almost as tall as he was. His purple hair was a lighter shade than Lancelot's, but there was a clear facial resemblance to him.</p><p>"Lancelot, your time has come. Your sentence for betraying the Dark R.O.U.N.D.S. and abandoning us will be delivered right here." She drew her saberstaff from her side.</p><p>"There's nowhere for you to run now, and there's no escape for them either. I'll deal with them after I deal with you though."</p><p>"I see. Then there's nothing more to say."</p><p>Lancelot settled into a familiar stance, ready to take on whatever Berserker would throw at him.</p><p>"Indeed. Prepare yourself!"</p><p>With that, Berserker initiated the fight. Unlike last time, this time she was going all out right from the start. Her movements couldn't even be compared to before, with the dual blades spinning so much that Illya thought she was wielding eight lightsabers at once. Such was her prodigious skill though that even when swinging it at such a reckless speed, she didn't even worry about cutting herself once, perfectly in control of both blades. Her confidence showed as she steadily advanced, whereas Lancelot was being pushed back by the vicious onslaught. Everything around them was slashed to pieces with no exceptions, while the two other occupants of the room had already vacated to a safer spot to observe the duel.</p><p>Lancelot didn't panic, but continued to defend in a solid manner, patiently waiting for his chance. His instincts sparked, as he sensed her movements start to slow down. Immediately, he retaliated, hurling a ferocious blow at her with formidable strength. She tried to parry it, but was thrown off-balance even just by brushing the blade to her side. He took advantage of her moment of weakness by instantly circling around to her back, and then lunging in for the killing blow.</p><p>The tip of his blade was about to scratch her cloak when he suddenly retracted the blade, just in time to avoid the crimson blade that swung at him from the left. And the other blade that followed it. And then the other one. The saberstaff spun into a tornado of crimson slashes, with electricity crackling within it, several stray bolts escaping and hitting the surroundings to leave scorch marks. If Lancelot had followed through with his attack, even he would be diced to bits. Front, back, left and right, there were no blind spots no matter which direction you came from. Berserker had feinted losing her balance, then tried to counterattack, but Lancelot's years of experience and conditioned reflexes saved him. However, she could easily maintain her spinning with the momentum she had built up, and inexorably advanced on Lancelot.</p><p>Without retreating a single step, Lancelot stood his ground, waiting for her to get close. Then in a heartbeat, be leapt into the air, actually landing on the ceiling and pushing off it to charge at Berserker even faster.</p><p>*WHOMP*</p><p>The sound of the air displaced preceded his body, aimed at Berserker like a missile, heading straight for the only weak point in her stance. The top.</p><p>He had also pushed off the ceiling with one leg, so a spin was incorporated into his jump. His entire body swiveled like a drill, with the tip of his sword as the drill point. He had used this move before in the past against strong enemies, and it boasted unparalleled piercing power, unintentionally harnessing the Golden Rectangle to create a truly perfect rotation that emitted infinite energy. The only downside was that he couldn't maneuver quickly while doing this, but since Berserker needed at least a second or two to stop spinning and dodge, he didn't need to worry about it.</p><p>Until Berserker suddenly phased through the floor. Or rather, she had cut the floor while spinning, having anticipated Lancelot attacking from the top, and dropped with the cut section of the floor to a lower level. Lancelot couldn't stop himself and pierced through the floor, creating another large hole before he landed on the ground below.</p><p>Berserker attacked him before he had a chance to recover, pushing him relentlessly.</p><p>"ORRYYAAHH!"</p><p>A downwards slash. An uppercut slash. A diagonal slash aimed at the ear. A low swing. An overhead power slash. Several thrusts at his head, torso and legs. Each blow chained into the next, leaving him no time to rest. To make it worse, crimson lightning wreathed the saberstaff, jumping off the blade to land on Lancelot with every strike he blocked or narrowly dodge. The room they had landed in was small, and he was quickly backed up against a wall, unable to show the full extent of his skill and flexibility.</p><p>Berserker didn't hesitate for a moment, turning her saberstaff back into the single bladed Necrocalibur and stopping her attacks to hop back, preparing to unleash her original technique, a sublimation of all quick-type attacks into a slash that left no shadow. Lancelot was completely unable to dodge it in the small space he had.</p><p>"Instantaneous-Shadowless Blade."</p><p>With barely a whisper, three blades cut through the air, the blades moving so fast that the glow of each blade left a trail in the air, truly a shadowless blade that illuminated the moment of the enemies defeat.</p><p>In the Throne of Heroes, a certain purple haired swordsman sighed.</p><p>"Why is everyone trying to copy my sword?"</p><p>But then a pipe came flying at her, followed by several more, each one wreathed in black smoke and red lines. She raised her blades to block the pipes, but another one came straight her faster than the rest, crossing the distance in an instant, and with her guard down after performing a sure-kill technique, she was hit in the stomach and slammed into a wall, the pipe actually piercing through her bodysuit and intestines to come out the other side, pinning her to the wall. Blood started to flow out of the wound and the other end of the pipe, steadily dripping onto the floor. Looking down at her wound in shock, then back up at Lancelot, she saw him holding several more blackened pipes in both hands, as well as biting one in his mouth.</p><p>Knight of Owner: A Knight Does Not Die with Empty Hands</p><p>An Ability Noble Phantasm that implements the attributes of "one's own Noble Phantasm" to anything he puts his hands on. Anything he wields becomes a pseudo-D Rank Noble Phantasm. Yet, a subtle and flawless technique is still displayed, using unfamiliar Noble Phantasms in repeated offensive and defensive maneuvers with grandeur.</p><p>In this case, the moment she had hopped back to unleash her technique, he had instantly ripped all the pipes from the wall behind him and activated his Noble Phantasm, converting them into Noble Phantasms capable of withstanding Berserker's swords. Then, he had simply blocked every blade with the numerous pipes he had as shields. For the technique that she had developed, "Instantaneous Shadowless Blade", was meant to be so fast to the point of being undodgeable, but it could still be blocked if one knew where it was going to land, and had the sufficient materials to block all three blades. With the pipes he had in both hands and even his mouth, along with the Eternal Arms Mastery, he was able to correctly predict the path of each blade and block them all accordingly. Then after she let her guard down, he'd thrown the pipes from different angles and speeds to distract her, before putting his full might into one pipe aimed at her stomach to pin her to the wall.</p><p>All this had happened in the span of two or three seconds, stunning even Illya who had been watching the fight through the two holes made earlier. To her, all she had seen was two blurs, one red and one purple, before the red blur moved back and did something that cause three arcs of red light to appear, and then the red and black blur was sent flying into the wall while the purple blur suddenly had pipes in his hands and mouth. If she had blinked, she would have missed half the fight. Still, she could tell Lancelot hadn't come out unscathed, with two large gashes in the armor on his arms showing the charred flesh within, as well as a slight limp to his gait.</p><p>"Kah, *cough*, to think that the day would come, when I get defeated by my own retainers...kuh." She hacked up some more blood from her mouth, staining the floor with more red as her lips turned cherry red. Lancelot looked extremely apologetic, even though he had just stabbed her in the stomach without hesitation just now. Spitting out the pipe in his mouth, he replied to her.</p><p>"I once followed you as one worthy of receiving my sword. But eventually, numerous troubles and problems accumulated, in the end forcing me to forsake my vows to you and leave with my family. I hope you understand, but I truly bear you no ill will. I know your abilities enough to know that you won't die from something minor like this, so simply stay like this until we reach our next destination."</p><p>Saying so, he slowly approached her. Berserker stared at him with her molten yellow eyes as he approached, slowly channeling magical energy from her Altreactor into her two hands without him noticing. Without Arondight, he surely wouldn't be able to completely block the lightning, and he would be stunned for a few seconds, allowing her to pull out the pipe and escape. The moment he got into range, she lifted both arms and released the pent-up magical energy as crimson lightning.</p><p>"BZZRRTTT"</p><p>A steady stream of energy burst from her limbs, but instead of one massive bolt, this time it was countless individual threads, each packing a sizable punch. Lancelot, hindered by his wounds, was unable to block them all, and his body was struck in many places, forcing his muscles to twitch and spasm as he collapsed onto the ground. Immediately, Berserker focused her strength and tugged on the pipe, struggling to pull it out.</p><p>"Krrr,aGggHhrrr...GRAHH!"</p><p>Even for a Servant, pulling out a pipe from their stomach was still painful, and she struggled to hold back her tears as the pipe scraped through her innards, creating more wounds and lacerating her organs. Still, she managed to pull the pipe free, even as some pink lumps of flesh and unidentifiable organs fell from the hole in her stomach, a rancid smell wafting up to her from them. Blood gushed from the hole before she could fully heal it on the surface, patching up the skin and wall of flesh. Quickly, she looked around the room for her lightsabers, but- a dart struck her, pumping liquid into her body. She looked up, seeing the regal woman from before, as well as the boy crouched in front of her to block any attacks from Berserker.</p><p>"Guinevere, you…"</p><p>She was already starting to feel woozy from whatever the dart had injected into her, she had to find her lightsaber and get out, she had to-</p><p>She lost consciousness when the blackened pipe hit her in the head, courtesy of a recovered Lancelot, still slightly shaking from the shocks he had endured.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 9</p><p>Illya woke up once more in her bed, this time with Leysritt by her side. There was a damp cloth on her head, and her entire body was sore, with even the slightest movement inducing pain throughout it.</p><p>"What happened?"</p><p>"Mistress, you fainted from overtaxing your Magic Circuits. The mana drain from Berserker in her enhanced form overwhelmed you, and with the sudden spike in consumption from her Noble Phantasm, you simply fainted immediately. Internal injuries were sustained, as well as burns in the areas with Magic Circuits. If Berserker hadn't instantly cut the connection between you two, you would have suffered fatal organ failure, or worse."</p><p>Looking down at her hands, she could see that they were completely recovered, her smooth white skin unblemished.</p><p>"How many days has it been Leysritt?"</p><p>"You were in the tank for five days, and unconscious for another day after leaving the tank, mistress."</p><p>The Einzberns had healing techniques beyond most mages, but using said techniques required immersion in a tank similar to the creation of homunculi, since in the end these techniques were only side products from their homunculus magecraft.</p><p>Still, even though her body was completely healed, it was still incredibly fatigued and sore, while she could also feel her Magic Circuits slightly strained. It was a miracle that she hadn't spontaneously combusted from her body heating up. Most magi would receive some form of damage from exerting their Magic Circuits to the limit, whether it be pain, numbness, burns or some other form of feedback unique to their Circuit. However in Illya's case the backlash from pushing too much was especially strong, since 70% of her body contained Magic Circuits. It also meant that the link between her Servant and herself was much stronger, so if Berserker suddenly started consuming massive quantities of mana, she would feel it quite keenly.</p><p>She could feel Berserker close by in spiritual form, silently watching over her as she recovered. Even though she was the main cause of her fainting, she still bore no ill will against her. After all, if you injure your hand when hammering in nails, it's because you weren't careful enough when using the hammer. She was at fault for failing to notice it in time and misused her tool, injuring herself.</p><p>"Also, Elder Acht will discuss future endeavours with you after you fully recover."</p><p>With that, Leysritt left the room to let Illya rest after excusing herself out.</p><p>Without having anything better to do, Illya simply closed her eyes and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.</p><p>The next day, she went to meet with Acht.</p><p>Jubstacheit was sitting at the head of the table in the large room, same as before when she first brought Berserker to meet him after summoning her. He cut an imposing figure in the chair, his aged features lacking any trace of warmth or senility, an astute light shining from his eyes. Once again, Illya was reminded that he held no affection for her whatsoever.</p><p>"Your Servant was able to surpass her summoned parameters and reach another level of strength." It wasn't a question, it was something he had observed with his familiars.</p><p>"It seems that her strength is at the very least on par with our previous Servant, and very likely exceeds Saber's strength in that ascended form of hers. In light of that, I have decided that you must keep her in that form at all times from now on, unless in critical conditions that absolutely forbids further draining of mana reserves." Illya stiffened.</p><p>"But-"</p><p>"Yes, I know that the burden will be heavy, especially since the Grail won't be supporting your Servant. However, this is an effective way to train you and your Servant, for the future battles that will take place where massive drains on your mana reserves will become necessary. By becoming accustomed to it now, you will be able to endure it somewhat better later on, and it will surely prove to be a great boon to you, as fainting in the middle of a duel between Masters would be unfortunate, to say the least." Illya, unable to talk back, resigned herself to her fate.</p><p>"We have also prepared training for you and your Servant, which we will start in the coming days. I look forward to the progress you will make." Jubstacheit watched her closely, but she betrayed no more emotions on her face.</p><p>"That is all."</p><p>Illya was dismissed, and left the hall without looking back.</p><p>Once she got into the room, the first thing she saw was a low round table bigger than her bed situated in the middle of the room. It was completely black, and a blanket seemed to be stuck to the bottom of the table, letting people stay nice and cozy. Snuggled right inside the blanket was Berserker, back with her usual attire, sitting at the table eating exotic Japanese traditional confections and spilling crumbs all over the place.</p><p>"Master, it seems you have recovered. Here, have some Kuromame-pan."</p><p>Saying so, she pushed a plate of what looked like bread studded with black beans. Illya only stared at her in a daze.</p><p>"W-what is this?! Why is there a huge table in my bedroom?"</p><p>"Master, you promised me a kotatsu, a daily supply of wasanbon sugar and luxury Japanese sweets. Did your memory get impaired as well when you fainted?"</p><p>Illya suddenly recalled what Berserker had said right before she went on a rampage in the forest.</p><p>-Flashback-</p><p>"R-really? I'm that amazing? To the point that you'll give me all the sweets you have?" Surprisingly, Berserker blushed at her praise, while some drool almost escaped from the corner of her mouth at the words "sweets" before she managed to suck it back in.</p><p>"So if I do really well, you'll even give me luxury Japanese sweets from a long-established candy store every day along with a daily supply of 5kg wasanbon sugar? And if it's not too much to ask for, even a portable Black Round Table-type kotatsu?"</p><p>Normally, Illya would reject these ridiculous demands out of hand, even from her own Servant. But after seeing her Servants strength, she was happy to comply.</p><p>"Of course, I'll buy you the very best Japanese sweets from the most famous of stores for the entire Fifth Holy Grail War. I'll even sign a geis to guarantee it!"</p><p>-Flashback End-</p><p>"T-that was…" Illya blinked in frustration, her mouth opening and closing without any words coming out, unable to refute Berserkers claims. Then it struck her.</p><p>"But, I only promised to buy the sweets! The rest of the items weren't included in the promise as well!" Grinning triumphantly, she thought she had won.</p><p>Berserker simply stared at her from the kotatsu, before leaving it (with extreme reluctance) and approaching Illya.</p><p>"What are you trying to do? Berserker? B-berserker?!" Berserker bodily lifted up Illya into the air, cutting off all forms of escape. No matter how much she struggled and writhed, she wouldn't be able to beat a Servants level of strength.</p><p>"Berserker, unhand me at once! Put me down!"</p><p>"As you wish, Master."</p><p>But instead of putting her down normally, Berserker shoved Illya into the kotatsu unceremoniously, before burrowing into the kotatsu herself next to Illya.</p><p>"What...ah, this actually doesn't feel too bad." The warmth of the kotatsu slowly melted Illya's stubborn heart, lulling her into a sense of security and peace.</p><p>"Fuwwaahhh, it feels like I could stay here all day." Illya sighed happily, reaching for the black bean bread automatically and munching on it, completely forgetting about everything that had happened earlier.</p><p>"Wait, this is bad, I'm falling to the charm of this mysterious object. My mental defenses are being breached again!" Illya panicked, trying to get out of the (cursed?) table.</p><p>"Don't resist it Master. Give in to the power of the dark side." Berserker grabbed Illya's leg, refusing to let her leave.</p><p>"I can't, have to resist it, have to remember my purpose! Strengthen Berserker, get rid of the table, strengthen Berserker, get rid of the table, strengthen the table, get rid of my worries, eat more black bean bread, get rid of my worries by sleeping at the table…" Already, she was snuggling up in the kotatsu and eating more black bean bread, her earlier resistance completely fading away. Her willpower was quickly eroded by the allure of the kotatsu, losing all form of motivation as she sank deeply into the warm caress of the dark kotatsu, inviting her into eternal rest in the dark.</p><p>"I don't want to get out…" Even her thoughts were completely infected, like a spell had been cast over her.</p><p>Next to her, Berserker secretly smiled in satisfaction. At least, her worries wouldn't bother her that much in this kotatsu. She had seen the pain in her eyes, and even though she was a Servant fated to only exist for the Holy Grail War, she still wanted to do her best as Illya's Servant, to help her in any way possible. A blue-jersey wearing friend of hers had been the first to show her warmth, and if possible she also wanted to let her Master break free of the cold fetters that bound her frozen heart. Even if she was from the Dark side of Alter, that didn't mean she couldn't care for her Master as well.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 10</p><p>Acht watched Illya and palmed his face in exasperation. Nothing was acting like he wanted to. If things continued like this, the sharp swords he had prepared for the war would rust away by the time it actually started, and he would be left with nothing to show for his efforts.</p><p>It was time to start their training.</p><p>The next day, Illya started supporting Berserker in her fully ascended form. Or, tried to. Back then when she had first activated it, she had only sustained it for less than 5 minutes before Berserker had used her Noble Phantasm and knocked her out. For the first 15 minutes, Illya was mostly fine besides the expected rise in body temperature and a slight prickling pain. After that, she started sweating heavily as her body temperature rapidly climbed, while her muscles cramped and loosened unpredictably, her nerve's pain receptors constantly being stimulated. For a few seconds she might feel like her four limbs were being cut off, then it would feel like her entire body was submerged in lava, before half her body was electrocuted while the other half was gnawed to pieces by worms. It was pure agony for her to experience, and the moment Berserker attempted anything remotely similar to combat, she went to the brink of fainting. Despite all this, she persevered, not even uttering a word of complaint. She would never whine because of suffering no matter what. After all, she had thought that if she were a good girl who didn't whine, her father would come back. Even though he never did, it still stuck in her psyche, becoming part of who she was.</p><p>She did cuss hard though.</p><p>For every five steps that she took, she would utter some type of curse or swear words that would make Irisviel wash her mouth with industrial grade soap if she was still around. She also hurled insults at Kiritsugu and the other boy he adopted, saying things that no child should say. Her insults were so hardcore that if there was poison in words, she would have enough to flood Alaska. Some of them actually rhymed so well that they would have impressed Eminem. Others were liable to trip the Bounded Fields for detecting lethal intent installed on the Einzbern grounds. A few were even actual curses as defined by the Clock Tower's Faculty of Curses, Jigmarie. (For the purpose of keeping the story rating at M, detailed transcripts of the aforementioned dialogue will not be provided.)</p><p>Strangely, she did not utter a single word of insult against Berserker, the direct source of her pain. Not insulting Jubstacheit was understandable since he was observing her through his familiars and Bounded Fields, while he also possessed the kill-switch fail-safes in case Illya ever decided to betray the Einzberns or harm them in any way. But, Berserker, who was her Servant and therefore under her control, didn't receive any negative words at all. Bererker wouldn't be able to talk back (she would), and would have to endure in silence (she would unload disparaging sarcasm at the target), so she would be the perfect target, unable to fight back (she would most likely destroy the targets self-esteem and put them on suicide watch).</p><p>However, Illya still remembered the dreams. The lengths she went to avenge her betrayal by her former comrade, and still failing to exact revenge in the end. She also knew the wounds of betrayal, better than most, so she couldn't help but refrain from insulting her Servant. If anything, she at least wouldn't step on someone who had suffered like her.</p><p>After nearly 3 hours of constant training, where she commanded Berserker to fight the seemingly limitless number of golems that the Einzberns had set up beforehand, she reached her limit. Ordering Berserker to dematerialize, she painfully dragged herself back to her room under the watchful eye of her maids, and flopped into the sable kotatsu. The moment she entered, she could already feel her fatigue leaving her physical shell. By this point, she was almost completely sure this piece of furniture was enchanted. She needed to send it to the Faculty of Archaeology or the Faculty of Lore. They might have encountered such artifacts before, and might know how to reproduce the enchantments. No, screw that. They would hog it all to themselves even after figuring it out. Damn magi and the Root.</p><p>Without warning, a wad of phlegm and blood rose up her throat, forcing her to cough. The 3 hour session had taken its toll on her body. Holding a handkerchief to her mouth, she crawled out of the kotatsu as her maids brought her potions to ease the pain. She went into her bed to rest soon after, closing her eyes and sinking into a deep sleep.</p><p>In a hidden corner of the castle, Acht furrowed his eyebrows. He leaned forward and considered the timing, then looked behind him to check the progress of his special project. Coming to a conclusion, be summoned the Illya's maids, Leysritt and Sella. After no more than ten minutes, they arrived.</p><p>"You two, serve this to Illya in her dinner tonight, and after you've confirmed that she's fallen asleep, transport her to the northern forest boundary."</p><p>At this, Sella's eyes widened in alarm.</p><p>"The northern forest? But that place is highly dangerous, with hazardous refuse from our failures, not to mention the wolves…"</p><p>"Rest assured, everything has been planned in advance, and no serious harm shall befall our sole representative for the Holy Grail War. See to it that you carry out these commands immediately. Now leave." Saying so, he turned his back to them.</p><p>"Ah, and if her Servant asks you what you're doing, tell her that it's part of her training, and request her to accompany her Master in spirit form and wait for her to awaken." He said it, almost as an afterthought, and this time he was truly finished.</p><p>Undeterred, Leysritt opened her mouth and tried to protest.</p><p>"But-" Before she could make more than a single word, Sella tugged her sleeve and glared at her, a wordless warning to shut up instantly.</p><p>"Did you have more to say?" Jubstacheit turned around once more, but this time his voice was unusually calm, with an even more rigid expression than usual and a dangerous glint in his eye.</p><p>"N-no sir, we will do as you command." With that, they both left.</p><p>After reaching a certain distance from the room, Sella checked for familiars. Finding none, she turned around to reprimand Leysritt.</p><p>"What were you trying to do, get yourself scrapped? There's no point in questioning Acht once he sets his mind on something, the stubborn old bastard. Even though you may be a critical Mystic Code for the young mistress to use, in the end there is still a chance you could be replaced if Acht finds you "unfit" for the role. Who knows what would replace you as her caretaker then?"</p><p>Leysritt's face remained blank.</p><p>"But, you also protested."</p><p>"That was because I'm the more expendable one! You're the one with sufficient physical ability to stand up to even low tier servants, whereas I'm just a normal Einzbern homunculus with a frail body and superb Magic Circuits that won't matter against half the servants with Magic Resistance in tHE DAMN WAR!" She grabbed Leysritt's shoulders and yelled in her face, frustration clearly evident on her face.</p><p>Without even changing her expression, Leysritt patted Sella's head.</p><p>"But, Illya also treasures Sella too."</p><p>"So what if she does? It doesn't matter if I can't do anything to protect her. I'm just a fragile homunculus made to assist her in her daily life and help her wear you in the end." Bitterness seeped through every word.</p><p>"Sella is smarter than Illya and Leysritt in certain things though."</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>Leysritt raised her index finger and replied emotionlessly.</p><p>"For example, Sella is an excellent straight man."</p><p>At that, Sella whacked Leysritt in the head with all the strength she could muster. Which to Leysritt felt like a fly landing on an elephant.</p><p>"That's not a good thing to be smart at!"</p><p>"Then, Sella is good at cooking too."</p><p>*Whack!*</p><p>"Sella also has a flat chest that appeals to "flat is justice" supporters."</p><p>*Whack!*</p><p>"Are we talking about my strengths or weaknesses here? Also, what does my chest size have to do with anything?" Saying so, her frustration reached a boiling point, and she started trying to suplex Leysritt, grappling with her and trying to match her strength in vain, even with Reinforcement. Soon, Leysritt gained the upper hand, reaching out to tickle Sella's weak spots, completely overwhelming her.</p><p>"Kyah! S-stop, hahaha, HAHAAHA, hyah! L-LEYs-hahaha! RI-HAHA-tt! "</p><p>Still, being able to vent her frustrations helped calm her down, and she couldn't help but walk with a spring in her step after fighting with Leysritt (and being utterly defeated by her).</p><p>On the other hand, Leysritt was also relieved.</p><p>"Sella, Leysritt is relieved."</p><p>"What do you mean airhead?"</p><p>"Leysritt is happy when Sella is happy."</p><p>Sella started blushing without delay.</p><p>"I-I get it okay? No need to be so direct. Let's just focus on our orders and watch out for our mistress right now."</p><p>With that, they began preparations for dinner.</p><p>The next morning, Illya woke up in an empty field of snow.</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 11</p><p>The abnormal chill had already completely penetrated Illya's entire body by the time she woke up. Shivering, she started up her Magic Circuits, warming them up and herself as well. At least it didn't seem like she was in a dream, since her Circuits worked.</p><p>"How did I even get here?"</p><p>The last she had remembered, she had eaten dinner and then fell asleep immediately. There were no dreams or fainting outside, so how had this happened?</p><p>Equally as important was where she was as well. Although it looked like she was still on the Einzbern grounds, she didn't recognize this part of the forest. She was in a small clearing surrounded by many tall pine trees, forming a wall around the clearing and blocking her vision. Even though it felt like day, the steel grey clouds above her blocked all the sunlight, reducing visibility, while the pine trees cast many shadows. It also looked like a blizzard was coming soon.</p><p>Stretching out her magical senses, she felt Berserker next to her in the clearing.</p><p>"Berserker, do you know what happened?"</p><p>"The maids told me it was for training and moved you here through a secret passage." She replied telepathically.</p><p>"I see." In that case, she would just have to see what kind of trials Jubstacheit had set up for her here. There was no use staying here, so she would start exploring and see if she could find anything.</p><p>"Let's go Berserker. Only materialize when you sense imminent danger."</p><p>They left the clearing, walking into the woods.</p><p>The woods were deep and dense, with the trees growing tall, forming a leafy canopy that blocked any source of overhead light. Back when Illya was younger, she probably would have frozen in fear in these woods. Now however, they were just another type of environment.</p><p>*Crunch, crunch*</p><p>The sound of her boots seemed small in the vast forest, almost echoing in the air. Occasionally, the wind would howl, picking up and wiping away any other source of noise.</p><p>Illya was still probing with her senses, but she couldn't seem to find anything. In fact, it felt like there was something actively obstructing her senses, and even her eyes seemed to be playing tricks on her. Twice, she could've sworn some of the shadows far in front of her lengthen and then shrink with no explanation. She was quite sure there were Bounded Fields in the area, but she couldn't accurately detect them, even though they should have been of Einzbern make and familiar to her. Somehow, she had the feeling that they were older, more ancient.</p><p>After an indeterminable amount of time, she stopped. Berserker took the chance to ask her a question.</p><p>"Master, have you had the feeling that we're being watched for some time now?"</p><p>"Since we first left the clearing."</p><p>She had also felt it, and minutes ago she had definitely felt something skirting around the edges of her senses, almost as if too shy to get close to her, yet still curious.</p><p>"It's strange though, usually after so long I should've already found somewhere familiar, but up til now I still haven't found anything I recognize at all. I've already been to most of the areas in Einzbern territory, so where could this be?"</p><p>She looked around again, trying to find some sort of clue as to where they were. There was nothing but pine trees, snows and shadows. Yet, she was sure that something else was out there. Where had she not been to in the Einzbern grounds yet? She racked her memory, trying to find anything that would help her remember where they were.</p><p>As she did so, something stealthily approached through the snow, it's footsteps light and silent. Completely white, it even blended in with the snow, darting from shadow to shadow and slipping closer and closer to Illya while she wasn't scanning the area.</p><p>*Vuon*</p><p>Suddenly a lightsaber cut its path through the trees to the creature and cut it in half. Screeching, it tried to dodge, but the blade proved swift and sliced it's leg and most of its pelvis off, making it collapse to the ground while steam leaked out of the two cauterized stumps on its body.</p><p>Illya had purposefully lured whatever was stalking them in by stopping her scans, and pretending to focus on something else, then telepathically told Berserker to look for anything. It had worked, and she went over to investigate what exactly had been stalking them.</p><p>When she got within a few meters, she could finally tell what it was. It was a homunculus like her, albeit naked, as well as a different gender. Even with a leg and half it's pelvis sliced off, it still wasn't dead, looking at Illya while trying to prop itself up to stand on one leg. Somehow it succeeded, and hopped on one leg in awkward steps while charred black bits of flesh and skin fell onto the ground.</p><p>As it tried to escape, Illya activated her Mystic Codes.</p><p>"Engel Note."</p><p>Wire constructs made out of her hair manifested, two birds hovering in the hair waiting to do her bidding. Concentrating, Illya made the two birds traced out of blue-lines dissolve back into threads, then rush at the homunculus to bind him. The thin but sturdy threads wrapped securely around his arms and remaining leg, preventing further movement.</p><p>Walking up to him, she asked him.</p><p>"Do you know where this is?"</p><p>The homunculus turned his head to an almost unnatural degree to stare at Illya, red eyes blank and empty. Illya also noticed patches of skin missing, exposing the raw flesh below, while there many small cuts and slash marks all over his body. Some of his hair was also gone, with irregular tufts if hair remaining on his scalp. Opening his mouth, he spoke with rusty vocals, like a stranded shipwreck victim who hadn't spoken to another human in years.</p><p>"Whyyy? Iiiii wwaasss a goooOooD Bbbooyy, whyyyywas I throwWwnnnn iinn Hhhhereee, whhyy, wwwHhyyYy, JubbSttachheiiittt…"</p><p>Thrown here? Illya thought about it. It looked like he was one of the defective homunculi and thrown here would mean-</p><p>*Shf*</p><p>She suddenly felt a slight prick on her leg. Looking down, she saw a hand with all its fingers turned into syringe-like tubes inject something into her body.</p><p>"MASTER!"</p><p>A crimson blade sliced off the arm at the shoulder, but not before a vials worth of liquid could be pumped into her. Quickly, she ran her Magic Circuits in an attempt to purge the mysterious liquid from her body. They opened up fully, pushing mana throughout her entire body, rejecting any foreign magical substances.</p><p>Standing beside her, Berserker, now fully materialized, watched as multiple homunculi rose from the snow, like corpses rising again. They had laid dormant while Illya had passed over them, giving off almost no magical signatures to detect, and their bodily functions had been heavily slowed by the snow as well, preventing Berserker from finding them with her physical senses. In addition, these failed homunculi had also been designed to be stealth operators, capable of generating Bounded Fields to divert attention away from them.</p><p>Now they surrounded Illya and Berserker, each one of them equipped with some type of body augmentation, the failed results of past Einzbern magi experiments.</p><p>"Berserker, hold them off while I try to purge the poison from my system!"</p><p>There was no response.</p><p>Whirling around, Illya yelled again</p><p>"Berserker!"</p><p>She was nowhere in sight, but the homunculi were still closing in, and it seemed like more of them were rising from the snow, with increasingly grotesque forms. Without warning, something lightly touched her on the shoulder.</p><p>She looked up and saw what looked disturbingly similar to her mother hanging from a tree, with the lower half of her body stretched into a long fleshy tendril that wrapped around the fir trees and terminated into a tail with a tip surrounded by several wriggling tentacles and was that a mouth.</p><p>It spoke.</p><p>"M̷̨̨̡̛̛̝̺̘͉̘͕̩̣̠͔͖̫̤̣̦̙͍̻̲̝̠̘̻̻̙͎̗̹͇͊̅̊̊̓̑͝͝aà̵̧̛̛̦͍̜̣̝̜̜͚̤͓̳̹̣͔͕̭̎̉̃̀̓̀̆̅͑̀̈́͌̇͑̎̅͑̑̀̾̉̒͌͋̈́͊̈́̿̍̈̄̾͜͝͠s̶̢̡̨̜̘̖̠̜̳͔̺͓̰̰̬͎̪̳̬̱̩̳̞͍̑͑͋̅͌̃̏̀̑͒ͅͅSt̶̜͚͍̭͍̯͍̱̮̙̼̝̞͔̜͒̂̔̐̒̆̔͐̀̈́̈́̽̓̌͌̊̀̄͊̋̊̓̽̒̈̌̈̋́̋͂̂̍̏̒̐͛̾̓̾̈͘͠͝͠͠͝Tẻ̶̡̡̛͈̤̲͙̞̣̟͉̠̺̭̻͈͎̝̜̹̝̖͇͈̞̮͎͕͎͙́͊̈́͌̒͗̏͌̓̄͛̌́̊̔̕͜͜͜͝ͅȑ̸̢̛̛͇̥̙͎͚̱̩͇̫̰̬̺̳̲̩̭͈̤̩̦̝̞̥̺͚̯̞̺̌̏́̊͐̑̋̓̈́̆̽̋̒͂͗̔͗̅̓̋͑̏͌͛͘͘̚͝͠͝͝͠ͅͅ"</p><p>Instantly, she turned around and bolted with a speed that put 100m world records to shame, rushing past all the failed homunculi to somewhere deeper in the forest. The darkness of the forest swallowed her up as she ran, until she disappeared into its depths.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 12</p><p>She didn't know when, but she had stopped running and started walking instead. Ahead of her, she could see the Einzbern mansion with all its lights on, the windows glowing with warmth. Yellow light spilled through them, illuminating the white snow on the ground and reflecting off the snow, bathing the surroundings in gold. She walked up to the great doors, where Sella and Leysritt stood on either side. In a daze, she walked up to the door, and it opened for her.</p><p>Standing under the bright lights of the chandelier, was her mother.</p><p>"Illya, I've missed you so much, come here!"</p><p>Rushing over, Irisviel bent down and hugged her mother. Illya's face became the very picture of shock.</p><p>"M-mother?"</p><p>A single tear rolled down her face as the warmth of her mother registered, arms wrapped around her body as the distinct smell surrounded her. The long white gown tickled her legs, exactly the same as she last remembered it.</p><p>"Mother!"</p><p>Burying her face into her mother's shoulder, she started crying, streams of tears flowing down her face, while a damp spot grew on the white fabric of Irisviel's gown.</p><p>Her body shook silently with each sob as Irisviel gently lifted her up, putting one arm under Illya's thighs while the other hand went around her back to secure her. Taking care not to trip, she went up the stairs and brought her back to her bedroom.</p><p>Upon entering the room, she slowly put Illya down on the bed and sat next to her, patting her head.</p><p>"There, there, you know I'll always be here at your side, there's no need to cry."</p><p>"B-but, *sniff*, I've really missed mom, a-all these years without you, *hic*, it's been so lonely." Barely able to finish a sentence, she burst into even more tears after saying it.</p><p>"Don't worry, I'll never leave you again."</p><p>She hugged Illya, pulling her into her bosom for a tight embrace.</p><p>*BANG*</p><p>Illya jolted in the hug. Irisviel grinned slightly and pulled away.</p><p>"Must be your father, why don't we go see him, hmm?" Illya's eyes sparkled after hearing that, her heart squeezing tightly.</p><p>"H-he's here as well?*sniff*"</p><p>"Of course, he's alway around our home silly. Let's go!" She took Illya's hand and led her out of the room, out the great doors in search of her father.</p><p>They went out the main doors again and trudged through the snow, searching for Kiritsugu. It didn't take them long, soon they found him looking for pinecones like Illya liked to do.</p><p>Wait, who was that on his shoulders?</p><p>She blinked and rubbed her eyes, looking at the boy who sat on Kiritsugu's shoulders, the only features she could make out from the back was that he had red hair.</p><p>"Dad?"</p><p>He didn't respond, instead seemingly focused on helping the boy grab a pine cone on one of the pine trees, like she used to do. The boy laughed as Kiritsugu said something, the boy still trying to grab the pine cone just out of his reach.</p><p>"D-dad?"</p><p>Without turning around, he put his right hand into his coat while his left hand remained to stabilize the boy on his shoulders. Turning slightly, he pulled his right hand out of the coat, pointed it at Illya and pulled the trigger.</p><p>*BANG*</p><p>Illya stared at her chest in shock. A crimson stain was slowly spreading across the front of her burgundy blouse, a hole the size of a coin over where her heart should be.</p><p>"Why?" Feeling no pain, she still collapsed backwards onto the snow, staring up into the sky uncomprehendingly.</p><p>*BANG*</p><p>She heard a *womp* besides her, and turning her head slightly, she saw her mother's body fall next to her, a smile still frozen on her face and a bullet hole between her eyes.</p><p>"MOM!"</p><p>Her eyes widened to an almost comical degree as she yelled, her throat catching near the end. One hand reached out to touch her as if to confirm her death, praying to whatever gods that listened that she would feel the warmth in her body, the endless black hole she saw a lie.</p><p>She blinked.</p><p>And her hand came into contact with a smooth metal surface, cold to the touch. Her mother was gone, in her place a golden cup, it's smooth surface reflecting Illya's distraught face.</p><p>"M-mother…"</p><p>She heard the crunch of footsteps next to her. Looking back up, she saw her father aim his Thompson Contender at her head.</p><p>"Why did you leave me alone?"</p><p>Even while asking this, she tried to reach out to touch her father as well, a fragile hope that he would somehow put down the gun and embrace her again, to smell the smoky and yet comforting scent of his faded trench coat once more.</p><p>*BANG*</p><p>Like a freight train, the bullet seemed to push her through the snow, breaking through the boundary and throwing her into a limitless void. The light of the world above rapidly shrank as she fell, yet there was no wind, but she still felt the vertigo of falling.</p><p>Without warning, her body slammed into the ground, this time made of cold, hard marble. She was back in her familiar bedroom, but this time with all the lights dimmed. It was cold, featureless and grey, with only a single sliver of moonlight peaking through the clouds, shining through a window to offer the only source of illumination.</p><p>*Scrtch*</p><p>Illya turned her head to face the corner where the sound came from. As if on cue, the moonlight shifted enough to shine on that very corner. A shock of red hair came into view, prompting recognition from Illya. It was the boy she'd seen earlier riding on her father's shoulders.</p><p>All at once, her hate and frustration welled up from the depths of her being, her fists clenching and her whole body shaking. Pushing herself back on to her feet, she strode over to where he knelt in the corner, seemingly focused on drawing something.</p><p>"You son of A BITCH. How DARE you steal MY father away from me like THAT!"</p><p>She screamed at his back with her as much strength as she could muster. All her anger poured out, every single fiber of her body quivering with malice and rage against this boy, who had come from nowhere to turn her own father against her.</p><p>Slowly, as if reacting to her outburst, the boy turned around. He gradually stood up from his kneeling position, and then his head started turning to face her.</p><p>*CRICK, CRACK*</p><p>His head turned an unnatural degree until she could hear the bones in his neck crack, and then she clearly saw his face. And took a step back.</p><p>*Gasp*</p><p>He had no face, being merely a smooth wall of flesh, with no features to speak of all. Holding up his hand, he lifted the drawing he had been focused on earlier.</p><p>What Illya saw was a drawing of her family and her as stick figures, with her in the middle of her father and mother. As she looked however, the stick figure representing her in the middle was crossed out, hidden by dark lines, and another person appeared above her. It was the boy, identifiable by his red hair in the drawing.</p><p>Then all of a sudden, he rushed forward, moving in the blink of an eye to right in front of Illya. She barely had enough time to try and take a step backwards before she was pinned down by the unnatural strength of the boy. Straddling her waist, he used one hand to keep her mouth open while he forced the now crumpled ball of paper down her throat.</p><p>"Noo, NOO-ngghh, gahkhh"</p><p>*schlick*</p><p>Not just the paper, but the entire arm seemed to push itself down her throat, forcing her to gag as it forced its way into her stomach.</p><p>Without warning, the entire ceiling right above them showed cracks, and then it crumbled and fell, completely crushing Illya and the faceless boy. Illya closed her eyes out of reflex.</p><p>When she opened them again, she found herself in a golden room, with some type of black mud clinging to the ground, staining her dress and blouse. With difficulty, she stood back up and looked around.</p><p>*SHRRKKKK*</p><p>At that moment, the room suddenly started shrinking. The shriek of metal resounded in the golden room.</p><p>She realized she was trapped in there, frantically looking left and right to find a way out. The black mud was also rising in level, threatening to drown her before the room crushed her. She screamed and begged for help, but no one answered. As if attracted by her yelling, five hands reached out of the rising mud and clung to her blouse, trying to drag her in.</p><p>"No, someone save me! Anyone, please, PLEASE!"</p><p>The mud eventually reached her nose by the time she felt the golden room's walls touching her and crushing her. As the mud entered her mouth and nose, sliding into her belly, she realized she wasn't in a golden room, but a giant golden cup all along. The mud completely filled the cup, covering her eyes until her entire body was submerged in the foul liquid, then she lost herself in the strangely warm embrace of the mud, like a child in a mother's womb.</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 13</p><p>"M...er."</p><p>"Mas...er."</p><p>"MASTER!"</p><p>Jolting awake, Illya's heart beat furiously as she sat up from the snow, pupils dilated as she whipped her head from side to side, half-convinced that she was still stuck in the cup.</p><p>Frigid wind stung her cheeks as snow pelted the rest of her body, the only source of light in the darkness being the crimson blade that shone dimly, vaporizing all the snow that came into contact with it. The wielder of the lightsaber was kneeling next to Illya, a look of rare concern on her pale face as Berserker's free hand went to Illya's back to support her.</p><p>"Are you alright Master? You fainted just now, and I had to carry you here while fending off our pursuers." Berserker summarized for her while remaining alert, yellow eyes darting to the left and right while she spoke.</p><p>"I, I fainted?"</p><p>"Yes. You also screamed and thrashed once or twice while I was carrying you. By the time I managed to shake off any enemies on our tail, your breathing and heartbeat had become incredibly shallow, so I was forced to stop and administer first aid to you, Master."</p><p>So it was all just a hallucination. A mix of disappointment, anger, and slight joy filled her heart with the realization. Seeing her parents once again…</p><p>No, she had to focus right now. She had almost been killed, and she couldn't afford to get caught in another ambush again. Checking her Magic Circuits, she realized that despite the weather, she was actually uncomfortably warm from the amount of heat they were outputting. As soon as she realized it, the pain from supplying Berserker with mana hit her like a truck.</p><p>"Kuh!"</p><p>She bent over in agony, struggling to keep herself together as what felt like molten steel coursed through her body.</p><p>"Master, if the burden is too much then just order me to dematerialize!"</p><p>Illya barely heard Berserker over the blizzard and her own pain, but just as she was about to order her to go into spirit form, she spotted something shambling out of the darkness far behind Berserker.</p><p>"Behi-!"</p><p>She barely finished the word before Berserker through her saberstaff, the crimson blade slicing through the air to cut the figure in half before flying back like a boomerang into Berserker's palm. However, it wasn't the only one.</p><p>More shadows crept out of the darkness, some fumbling along, others slowly crawling across the snowy land, while still others seemed to walk on all fours. Their shape and size varied, though they mostly seemed to be humanoid. Berserker stood up and readied herself for combat, raising her saberstaff as her left hand sparked with electricity.</p><p>But it wasn't just in front of Berserker. The sound of shuffling footsteps, of things dragging themselves across the snow alerted Illya to their presence, and she looked behind.</p><p>The first visible thing was a pair of perfectly normal homunculus legs, missing several toes, and then the upper body came into view with several holes torn in it, exposing the inner organs. The last thing to become visible was the face, which besides the fact that one side was completely melted and disfigured, was a generic homunculus face that she saw at the castle all the time. And then it clicked for her.</p><p>This was the Einzbern wasteyard, where the failed homunculi and remnants of failed experiments had been thrown for centuries.</p><p>The Einzberns regularly experimented with homunculi in an effort to improve their craft to reach the Root, and while in the past few decades their efforts had turned to creating the Lesser Grail, they had still developed various types of homunculi for the mages in the Clock Tower and other organisations to purchase. The Einzbern mages in the past didn't always succeed in developing their homunculi despite their reputation, so before Justeaze came along and they killed themselves in despair, they had dumped their failures in a section of the forest near the Einzbern ancestral grounds. Not all were dumped here, some were cremated, while others were reused as magical batteries of a sort, to fuel further experiments, and there was also the pool below the castle as well. However homunculi thrown into the wasteyard were those that the mages could possibly come back to in case they suddenly thought they had further potential, and they also served as a security system that prevented mages from invading the castle, an extra layer of security.</p><p>Over the centuries, the amount of failed homunculi dumped here had accumulated, and some even interacted with each other to create fascinating mutations, some ugly and grotesque, others functional and elegant. Of course, the mages in the Einzbern family kept track of these mutations, and integrated some of the more useful ones into their magecraft. Their numbers swelled over the years, becoming massive hordes that roamed the expansive waste yard within the boundary field. In spite of their numbers, they never tried to attack the castle, in part because of the Bounded Fields, but also because the magi of the Einzbern family possessed the fail-safe termination commands for all the failed experiments.</p><p>But there was another reason to why they were dumped there, and even older origin that dated back to the days when the castle was first built and occupied by the Einzberns.</p><p>Back then, their craft was still in its infancy, and their reputation as alchemists and homunculi makers didn't exist. Their master, the Magician of the Third Magic, disappeared, leaving them to fumble in the dark as they tried to recreate what she had achieved. As such, they experimented on nearly every topic within alchemy, and sometimes outside of it as well, in hopes of finding a way to the Root. Prior to creating homunculi, they also experimented on humans and animals, refining their magecraft until they were able to create artificial life. In the course of their experimentation, a certain magus decided to use the wolves that lived close to the castle for an experiment.</p><p>These wolves were native to the land, and the mages of the Einzbern hadn't bothered with them since they didn't really obstruct their work, so they left them be. They were normal gray wolves, mundane and natural. However, the Bounded Fields close to the Einzbern castle affected the wolves, forcing them to adapt and gain sharper senses, in order to counter the sensory confusion caused by the Bounded Fields and hunt normally. However, they didn't gain mystery, instead simply enhancing their biology and evolving to counter magecraft.</p><p>This piqued the interest of the Einzbern mage, and so he decided to take some wolves and introduce an evolution factor to their bodies, making them able to adapt to adverse conditions and hostile entities much faster. After all, if they could naturally adapt to magecraft, then what would happen if that adaptation was artificially enhanced?</p><p>This experiment was soon forgotten by the mage, simply being done because they caught his attention for a moment, the wolves left to breed by themselves in the woods. A spur of the moment decision, a simple whim of his.</p><p>It wasn't long before they caught his attention again. After a few years, mages of the Einzbern family had started disappearing in the forest. A search party was formed, intending to put down any hostile magi that had infiltrated their territory. After a long search in a howling blizzard, the magi found the culprits. A massive pack of wolves, munching on the bones and marrow of the recently deceased magi. At first they couldn't believe it, that some mundane predators had killed these magi. They were soon proven wrong when the pack attacked en mass, nearly wiping out the entire search party and their familiars.</p><p>The wolves had senses sharpened to such a degree that Bounded Fields which interfered with the four senses were almost useless against them, unless they were operating on maximum power while linked to leylines. They had also gained a certain degree of magic resistance, courtesy of the failed experiments that magi had simply released into the surroundings as deterrence. Some had also used the wolves in other experiments, and the surviving wolves had passed down ways of adapting to these experiments. The results were a huge pack of wolves equipped with anti-magic capabilities, as well enhanced intelligence, strength, agility and stamina courtesy of the evolution factor introduced by the first mage.</p><p>They were unable to wipe out the wolves back then, and so the first mage who had experimented on them proposed a solution. Provide them a steady stream of food to satisfy them and prevent them from attacking the castle. After all, even though they were marginally more intelligent, they were still beasts of the wild, and so wouldn't attack the castle for no reason, if they had free food. Besides, if they had free food, they might not evolve anymore to adapt, and the day would come when the strength of the magi outnumbered them. That was the logic of the plan that he proposed, and it was accepted.</p><p>The failed human and animal experiments were thrown into the woods for the pack to feed on, giving them a source of prey that wasn't the Einzberns. Wandering in that section of the forest was strictly forbidden, and strong Bounded Fields were erected to contain the pack in that section of the forest. After that, the problem was considered solved, and they continued the practice of throwing failed experiments into the "waste yard" up til now.</p><p>Unbeknownst to them, the wolves had continued multiplying until they hit a peak, at which point they had started cannibalizing each other due to food shortage problems, until only the cream of the crop were left. Now, they fed on the failed homunculi in the forest, but kept their numbers low on purpose to avoid a similar crisis from happening again, with "weak" newborns abandoned to die in the snow.</p><p>Illya had already learned about the history of the waste yard in her lessons, so she instantly shot to her feet with renewed urgency.</p><p>"Berserker, cut us a path through our enemies!"</p><p>"Understood!"</p><p>The Servant sprang into action as she leapt into the fray, swinging her saberstaff left and right while her left sprayed crimson lightning indiscriminately, the energy leaping from one enemy to the next. Heads flew, but no blood flowed as the stumps were instantly cauterized by the heat before they could even leak a single drop of blood. Monstrosities that were no longer recognizable as homunculi swung at her, but their abilities all paled against her Servant levels of speed. Arms, legs, torsos, they all went flying into the frigid air, the wind tossing them to and fro, littering the snow with body parts.</p><p>Illya trudged through the snow at a steady pace behind her, staying a fair distance away from Berserker, but not straying too far.</p><p>"Zelle."</p><p>The blue birds formed once more from strands of white hair, a single thread connecting them to Illya's scalp. They hovered above Illya, firing upon any homunculi that got too close. Neon blue shots pierced their heads, dropping most of them instantly. For the few that survived even headshots, a couple of shots to their limbs was sufficient to immobilize them.</p><p>Still there were some that proved troublesome, wielding different forms of weaponized bodily augmentations that were unconventional, and difficult to deal with.</p><p>Berserker was currently facing one such specimen. Ducking under the swing of one homunculi, she decapitated with a swift flick of the wrist, but another one surged forward, gas, or more accurately spores, puffing out of various artificial holes in its body, as well as its regular bodily orifices. Berserker jumped back, avoiding the wind that blew some of the spores towards her, and leapt forward to decapitate it as well, but she was blocked by the homunculi spraying out a sudden burst of spores, forming a dense cloud around it. Unable to get through, she instead opted for her Alter Lightning, several arcs of energy lancing towards it from her left hand.</p><p>The moment it hit the spores, it triggered a chain reaction that caused an explosion, knocking back the rest of the freaks behind it and setting some of the closer ones on fire as well.</p><p>Still more came at them from all directions, and even with Berserker executing impressive acrobatics that took out as many as three homunculi in a second, it still wasn't enough. They were crawling out of the darkness like swarms of ants, undeterred by the numerous amounts of their brethren killed. Illya was also starting to feel pressured, being forced to deploy four of her familiars at this point to fend off the homunculi closing in on her. The strain of supporting Berserker while forming the familiars was starting to push her to the limits, sweat dripping down her forehead even though it was negative degrees, the sweat freezing before it even hit the snowy ground.</p><p>*KRAKOOM*</p><p>Illya whipped her head in the direction that the explosion came from, and Berserker did the same.</p><p>Dozens of meters away, a figure unlike the homunculi they had been fighting appeared. The man, it seemed like, didn't have the albino skin and white hair characteristic of homunculi, instead having a black beard and dark skin, along with a swarthy face. His garments also suggested a Middle Eastern origin, possibly from Israel judging from the Star of David talisman clutched in his hands.</p><p>"Who are you?"</p><p>Illya's question went unanswered, and she was forced to continue fending off the other homunculi while they charged forward with renewed fervor.</p><p>Berserker on the other hand had perfect vision even with the blizzard, and was able to see his entire figure. Immediately, she threw herself at him, labeling him as a larger threat than the other homunculi.</p><p>*KRAKOOM*</p><p>A second explosion resounded in the area, this time a lot closer to Illya. She instinctively raised a ward of thread to deflect whatever was aimed at her, but it was already deflected by Berserker, the saberstaff intercepting a blast of invisible energy and redirecting to the surrounding homunculi, blasting them backwards. The man took the chance to get closer, muttering a chant under his breath.</p><p>At this point, Illya finally got a good look at the man after he got closer, and saw an abomination.</p><p>Attached to his back, was another homunculi, but the flesh of the homunculi and the man had melded together, like what some body horror films showed. In essence, the homunculi had parasitized the man and was controlling the magus, with the magus ego either suppressed or completely destroyed. Most likely, the man had tried to invade the Einzbern ground for one reason or another, and had been overwhelmed by the homunculi, finally succumbing and being parasitized by this one homunculi designed specifically to take control of humans, and magi in particular.</p><p>Illya instantly turned her attention to the man, her familiars raining down bullets on him as she tried to analyze his magecraft while Berserker dealt with the other homunculi crowding around them, charging straight at him once there was a clear path forward.</p><p>"ORYA!"</p><p>Berserker swung at him with a savage backhand slash, fully expecting to bisect him.</p><p>*Brzzzt*</p><p>Incredibly, the lightsaber somehow shorted out right when it came into contact with his body, the blade simply fizzing out of existence. She quickly twisted the saberstaff so that the other blade would cut him, but that blade disappeared as well while the other blade suddenly appeared again after it faced away from him.</p><p>For a moment, she briefly glimpsed Arabic letters shining under his sleeve, before she was repulsed backwards, sliding away on the snow. Telepathically, she contacted her master.</p><p>"Master, I saw some symbols like these under his sleeve. Do you know what they are?"</p><p>Illya received her message and a vague impression of what she'd seen earlier. She compared it to everything that she had learnt and deduced an answer in an instant, firing at the homunculi all the while.</p><p>"He's using some form of numerology magecraft, which involved engraving the formulas on his entire body, and he might've carved some formulas around here as well!"</p><p>A magus's territory was where they were the most dangerous, and it would make sense for the mage to have carved the formulas on the ground to create his own territory, even if he was parasitized. After all, if he could fire off spells, then territory creation wasn't beyond him. However, since he was a traditional magus, there was a method to fight back. A duel between strong magi was a battle of not just pure power, but also a battle of concepts. Once she knew the foundation of his magecraft, she could come with a plan to counter it.</p><p>But just as Illya finished forming a plan to counter him, she heard it.</p><p>"AROOOooooooooooo"</p><p>The howl cut through the blizzard, reaching the ears of everyone present, be it Master, Servant, homunculi or monster. The blood drained from Illya's face (not that it was any different from her usual face) when she heard the howl, deeper, longer and louder than any normal wolf howl should be. Attracted by the sound of combat, by the smell of flesh and prey, they had arrived.</p><p>"They're here."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 14</p><p>"Berserker, get us out of here as fast as you can!"</p><p>But even she ordered her, her knees gave out and she crumpled to the ground, completely unable to muster the energy to stand up. The strain of supporting Berserker with her Magic Circuits while fending off the homunculi with her familiars had finally gotten to her, making her collapse. Still, if she remained immobile, the wolves would reach them soon, and there was no telling what would happen to her then.</p><p>Berserker chose to disengage and return to Illya's side, shooting intermittent bolts of lightning at the encroaching horde of homunculi while she knelt down to support her Master.</p><p>"Master, can you walk?"</p><p>"I can't, *hah*, can't walk. *Hah*"</p><p>Illya breathed heavily while her skin flushed red, sweat rolling down her skin in streams. Seeing no other choice, Berserker slung Illya's small body onto her back and secured her into position, aiming to carve a path through the homunculi and always from the wolves.</p><p>"I'll protect you Master, don't worry."</p><p>Berserker readied herself, and charged.</p><p>*VUON*</p><p>The first homunculus in her path lost his head and an arm as the plasma blade cut through them like paper, the body dropping to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Her saberstaff swung again, and the outstretched arms of two homunculi nearby trying to grab her fell to the ground, rolling off to get trampled by other homunculi. Several fists from different directions swung at her, faster than a professional boxer's, but she spun in a complete circle, swinging the saberstaff and slicing off all of the attacking limbs, while forcing back the other homunculi as well.</p><p>Two homunculi at the further away cast spells, raw and crude shots of mana, but with immense power behind them. Berserker stretched out her left hand and "caught" the shots, then redirected them to her surroundings, blasting open holes in their bodies. A large homunculi likely designed to imitate giants swung at her, it's large arm accidentally smashing some of its brethren, while behind her a homunculi with several extra pairs of arms shot several projectiles at her from three of those arms. Without a pause, she jumped into the air and dodge the projectiles, letting them pass harmlessly under her to hit the giant in front of her, then sliced off the giant arm by digging his saberstaff deep into the arm and twisting her entire body. The arm flew off and crushed the multi-armed homunculi, as well as several others, turning them into red paste on the snow, while the giant roared in pain, clutching the charred stump of its severed arm.</p><p>Even as Berserkers fired more lightning into the surroundings, the giant's torso melted from the projectiles fired earlier, and it's massive body toppled in several homunculi, crushing them as well. Seeing her chance, Berserker leapt on to the giants body and dashed through the opening his body had created by crushing the homunculi.</p><p>*WHOOSH*</p><p>Hearing something on her left, she turned to see a homunculi with modified legs flying at immense speeds towards her. It's arms had been modified into blades that were currently pointing at her with lethal intent. Berserker intercepted his blades without much difficulty, but it's attack stopped her in her tracks, and the blade arms were made of a material that was difficult for her lightsaber to cut through. Swinging her sword, she quickly slashed at his chest from the left, then spun the saberstaff to accomplish several left and right slashes at it's chest in quick succession, taking great care not to cut Illya on her back. The homunculi blocked the first slash, but was overwhelmed by the rest and was promptly dispatched, a large furrow cutting through its chest, almost separating everything below the collarbone from the top.</p><p>However, her intense concentration required to not accidentally harm her Master made her neglect her surroundings, and this lack of awareness proved deadly as the parasite snuck up on her.</p><p>"واحد إثنان ثلاثة أربعة خمسة"</p><p>Blinding white light shone behind her as a searing pain pierced her body, making her fall to one knee as her entire body trembled, Arabic letters carved into her flesh appearing one by one.</p><p>"ستة سبعة ثمانية تسعة عشرة"</p><p>The light increased in intensity, as she felt her physical body slowly start to lose cohesion. Golden motes of light drifted into the sky, pieces of her body slowly dissolving into ether.</p><p>"الحادي عشر: ثلاثة عشر-"</p><p>This was it, she had failed her Master. In the very first time where she had faced actual life-and-death combat, she had been overwhelmed and defeated, and her Master was going to die in this cold wasteland. What a joke of a servant she was.</p><p>"No, NO, IT CAN'T END LIKE THIS!"</p><p>Internally, she screamed and railed against the magical bonds that bound her, struggling as hard as she could to maintain her form. Even if it was only for a second more, she would still use her remaining strength to protect her Master.</p><p>"De...gen."</p><p>A sword of white threads formed in an instant, pointed directly at the parasitized mage. In a blink of an eye, it went from being next to Berserker to the forehead of the mage, piercing through his head, and then out the other side to punch through the parasite homunculus's head as well. Blood sprayed out in a cone behind their merged bodies, reaching almost a meter in length, and the magus fell backwards onto the ground. Slowly, Berserker's body stabilized as the exorcism ritual was lifted, the numerals on her body fading away as golden dust stopped rising from her body.</p><p>"Hah, haah, Master?"</p><p>Illya gave no reply, the only sign of life being a faint heartbeat against Berserker's back.</p><p>Berserker breathed in and out deeply a few more times, then steadied herself, letting the Alter energy flow through her body in a natural cycle.</p><p>*ZZZSSH*</p><p>Two homunculi that were creeping up behind her lost their heads, and then the third that charged straight at her after seeing their deaths had it's heart pierced by the blade of light.</p><p>More and more climbed atop the giant's corpse, struggling to reach Berserker. But their sheer numbers worked against them, hindering each other as they dragged each other down while mindlessly trying to climb atop one another to reach their prey.</p><p>*ARRROOOooooooOOOOOO*</p><p>This time, the howl came from much closer. Already, Berserker could spot the homunculi further away, turning around and facing the source of the howling, ready to engage their enemy. Her vision un-impaired by her glasses also let her spot several distinct black shapes beyond the horde of homunculi, moving towards them through the blizzard with purpose.</p><p>It was time to leave, Berserker thought. Gathering her energy, she leapt from the giant's corpse onto the mass of homunculi surrounding it, landing on their heads and using it as a platform to leapt further ahead, crushing their heads into bloody pulp with each leap that she took.</p><p>Far behind her, her enhanced hearing picked up the snarls of the wolves, and the sound of flesh being rent by claws, of bodies thrown around like ragdolls. Quickening her pace, she swung her saberstaff with all her strength, utilizing the all years of skill and experience that she had honed in the Servant universe. Though the homunculi were many, with some of their physical abilities rivaling Servants, while had absurd Magic Circuits, they were uncoordinated and frequently harmed each other by accident, while Berserker was also intensely focused after almost dying along with her Master. She would not fail again.</p><p>It wasn't long before she finally saw the edge of the seemingly limitless army of homunculi, and her efforts redoubled, cutting a way through the wall of flesh and blood with her blood-red lightsaber. The smell of ozone permeated the air as her lightning flashed over and over, the ground rolling with so many different body parts that they could have supplied a hospital for a year. She finally broke through the final throng of homunculi, cutting down one with multiple fleshy tendrils into several pieces while her lightning fried a homunculi that had a giant mouth on its belly and no eyes.</p><p>She dashed out of the crowd of homunculi, her legs blurring through the snow as she kicked up an immense amount into the air to gather as much speed as she could.</p><p>All of a sudden , she broke to a halt.</p><p>Right there, where she had almost run straight into, was a sheer cliff dropping far down. She couldn't even see the bottom with her Servant vision, and she would clearly sustain injuries, even as a Servant, if she jumped down here. It now made sense to her why she hadn't spotted more homunculi here when compared to the other directions she looked at.</p><p>Alarmed, she spun around and blocked a white wolf flying at her from out of nowhere. The wolf chomped on the saberstaffs hilt, biting the one place where it wouldn't get cut. There was no sound, no warning, but even so her instincts had screamed at her, telling her to block a potentially fatal attack. The white wolf could have torn out Illya's throat if it had been successful.</p><p>Before she even had time to think about where it came from, two more burst out of the snow where they were camouflaged in and leapt at her as well, one from each side. The left one was fried by her lightning, but it's momentum kept its body flying until it hit Berserker and pushed her back, while the one on the right bit her right leg, receiving a kick that was sure to have shattered it's ribcage, yet it stubbornly clung on. She was slowly getting pushed to the edge by their combined efforts, and the strong winds blowing straight at her didn't help either. Already, one leg was hanging over the edge from the surprise attack, the only source of leverage her right leg planted firmly in the snow, with the wolf clinging on to it even half-dead.</p><p>However, she still had immense strength even for a Servant, so no matter how enhanced the wolves strength was when compared to normal wolves, they were still inferior to her levels of power. With just one leg, she was able to lock herself in place, and all it would take would be a second to swing the saberstaff and cut them all in half.</p><p>*GGARROOOOOO*</p><p>At that moment, a massive shockwave ran across the snow, blasting it two sides as the force carved a furrow into the ground. The blast was aimed squarely at Berserker, and even with her efforts to dodge it, it still clipped her and loosened her footing, vibrating her entire body to destabilize and disorient her. In addition, the sound pierced her eardrums and shook her brain, screwing up her senses and equilibrium.</p><p>Without a sound, she fell into the darkness below the cliff, the howling winds heralding her fall into the abyss.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 15</p><p>Once more, Illya woke up on a cold metal floor. Cold, filtered air drifted in lazy gusts from a vent above her, and she recognized the holes in the ceiling, now haphazardly patched up with sheets of metal. The lights were dim, but the room was so small she could still barely see everything. Sitting up, she looked around to see if she could find Berserker.</p><p>She didn't have to look for long. Right behind her, bound to the wall with several heavy metal beams pounded into the wall and chains encircling her arms and legs, was Berserker. The pipe was still embedded in her stomach, Berserker's natural regeneration constantly trying to heal her but failing, the flesh almost squeezing the pipe as it tried to close the wound. There was a large pool of fresh blood on the floor from the dripping pipe, with red rusty stains surrounding the pool. Illya also noticed some sort of catheter in Berserker's arm hooked up to a small device with a small tank, a counter showing foreign symbols of some sort.</p><p>Berserker didn't seem to be conscious, taking shallow breaths while her eyelids remained firmly shut. She looked even paler than usual, if that was possible, and her hair hung in limp strands across her face, the shadows making her seem gaunt and frail.</p><p>Even though Illya wasn't someone who often felt pity or sympathy, seeing her Servant in such a state still felt wrong to her. She'd only known her for a few days, but she could already tell that Berserker wasn't a bad person, and would at the very least follow her commands, although her reliability was still in question. Being stuck here, stabbed with a pipe to a wall and further imprisoned with drugs and bindings didn't sit right with her. Still, she was only an observer to her past memories, so she might as well be a ghost, unable to interact with her in any meaningful way. All she could do was watch as events played out by themselves.</p><p>Minutes passed with nothing happening, and Illya's turned to what had happened before she had fainted. Actually, she realized she had been fainting quite a lot these days. Even with the expected burden of supporting Berserker without the Grail's help, she was still fainting at a rather disturbing rate in the past few days. It was almost as if somebody was cursing her to faint, but that couldn't possibly be true. Almost no one knew of her existence outside of the Einzberns, with the Tohsakas and Makiris being the sole possible exceptions.</p><p>Still, her fainting certainly had placed a large burden on Berserker. They had been surrounded on all sides by homunculi, with no escape in sight. To make matters worse, the infamous wolf pack she had heard about since she was young had made their way towards them, attracted by their scent. She had heard that the wolves would eat almost anything, but that they particularly favoured Einzbern mages, their being one of their earliest tastes of flesh that contained Mystery for the wolves.</p><p>Would Berserker even make it out? Having to carry Illya would limit her strength, as she'd have to be careful while wielding her lightsaber, and she'd have to watch her back diligently as Berserker's physical ability might surpass the homunculi individually, there was a very real possibility that they could overwhelm her with sheer numbers. And if the wolves caught up to them, there was no telling what could happen. A pack of apex predators that displayed high levels of coordination and intelligence with anti-magic capabilities and enhanced physical attributes could prove extremely problematic for Berserker, even if she unleashed her Noble Phantasm. She'd heard tales from her father before he'd left, of how he'd assessed their threat level, and just decided to leave them be. He didn't want to bring any unforeseen hazards on the Einzbern castle if he left before completely wiping them out.</p><p>Hmmm, actually Berserker couldn't use her trump card either, now that Illya thought about it. If she did, Illya was likely to simply spontaneously combust from the heat generated from her Magic Circuits, and Berserker would lose her anchor to the world, losing before the Grail War even began. That meant Berserker was handicapped in more ways than one, and now Illya was seriously starting to worry about them. Would she die unconscious while a wolf ripped out her throat in reality?</p><p>Just then, the door to the small room opened, allowing more light to pour in, almost blinding Illya after she had adjusted to the darkened room. Standing in the doorway, was Lancelot.</p><p>Holding a mop and a bucket, as well as several capsules and vials. Putting down the capsules and vials first, he then started dipping the mop into the bucket of water and cleaning the floor, wiping it with the perfect amount of strength and speed that the floor was entirely clean of blood in mere seconds, even the rusty stains from before disappearing. Illya watched the entire process in awe, the peak of household cleaning that even the specially designed household homunculi in the Einzbern couldn't hope to reach. His grip, stance and technique were all honed from years of experience in cleaning during his years in the D.A.R.K. Rounds, as part of his role of being the perfect knight. After all, cleaning was also a war waged against dirt, bacteria, dust and all forms of uncleanliness as the enemy.</p><p>After cleaning, he went to inspect the wound on Berserker's stomach. Illya's brief moment of hope that he would pull out the pipe was quickly extinguished when he instead pushed the pipe further in, causing a sudden flow of blood from the pipe to gush out.</p><p>"I'm sorry my King, but there was no other way to disable the Altreactor in your body."</p><p>The Altreactor?</p><p>"When you were created from the X factor obtained from Mysterious Heroine X, our sworn enemy, Alternium crystals were implanted into your body in the hopes that it would become a potent source of energy for defeating MHX once and for all. Nobody knew exactly what would happen, but in the end the results of the implanted crystals surprised us. Instead of becoming a direct source of energy, they instead helped to convert calories into magical energy. In other words, the more you ate, the stronger you became."</p><p>Lancelot paused, staring at her stomach.</p><p>"This energy conversion seemed to be all-mighty, the only limit being how much you could consume. However, in due course we found out that there was a weak point. Since the Alternium crystals refined calories into magical energy, we decided to scan your stomach, and our theory was proven to be correct. Most of the Alternium crystals had congregated in your stomach and intestines, almost completely taking over the rest of the digestive system as well. There were trace amounts in other parts of your body as well, but they mostly served as conduits to transfer magical energy to the rest of your body."</p><p>"So if your stomach was hit, pierced or damaged in any way, the energy conversion function of the Altreactor would be considerably impaired, thus weakening you. Of course, this weakness was easily remedied by training you to reach the peak of your potential, allowing you to block, deflect or dodge any attack aimed at your weak point. Of course, this almost meant that to keep you confined, one had to somehow stop the Altreactor in your stomach from functioning, or at the least slow it down to a certain degree. Originally there were drugs and magical rituals to achieve that, but since I don't have either on hand right now, I had to make do with whatever I could find, hence the pipe through your stomach." Scratching his head, Lancelot looked down in shame.</p><p>"Even though I know you wouldn't die from this as long as you were supplied with the minimum amount of calories and nutrients needed through the catheter, it still pains me to do this to you. Well, at least the painkillers should help numb the pain."</p><p>Kneeling, he bent down and pushed some buttons before popping out several cartridges out of the device, slipping the capsules and pouring the liquid from the vials into them before reinserting the cartridges.</p><p>"I came down here because we're about to reach our destination soon, so I'll remove the pipe now and let you heal. The sedatives should keep you asleep well after we've left, so we'll loosen your bindings as well." Saying so, he pulled out the beams and chains that crudely wrapped around her entire body, then gripped the pipe with one hand firmly and pulled it out slowly and precisely, making sure not to widen the large hole in her stomach. A torrent of blood and water burst out right after it left her stomach, along with pink scraps of her intestines, and mixed with them some small fragments of reddish-blue crystal. The acrid scent of digestive juice filled the small room in an instant, making Lancelot wrinkle his nose.</p><p>"Oh, and one more thing before we leave. Originally when we created you, we placed the Alternium crystals evenly throughout your body. But somehow, a certain voroid in our employ messed up the nutrients that should have been supplied to your gestation pod, and instead fed you highly concentrated ■■■■. This probably proved too stimulating for your juvenile digestive system, so in response the Alternium crystals traveled to your stomach to reinforce its functions and convert the food into energy, preventing the death of the host body. As a result, you gained the ability to transform calories into magical energy."</p><p>With that randomly timed origin reveal that felt underwhelming to Illya, he left. In another corner of the universe, the voroid "K6-X4", a.k.a. "Black Knight-kun", experienced a malfunction in it's speech box and emitted a sound similar to a sneeze.</p><p>"I wonder if Ecchan is talking about me." The thought flashed through his processors as he continued gaming on the VR headset he had recently bought, engrossed in "Professor Tokiomi and the Space-Temple of Doom! (Based on true events)".</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 16</p><p>Despite the amount of time that had passed, Illya still didn't wake up. She remained in the cold, musty room filled with the scent of Berserker's blood and guts, staring at Berserker and waiting for her to wake up. Idly, she wondered if she had simply died in reality, and was stuck in this dream forever.</p><p>As she was thinking this, Berserker's breathing quickened. Slowly, she stirred awake, her eyes remaining shut while she shifted her body weakly. The chains held her up against the wall loosely, forcing her to lean on the wall with unsteady legs. Gradually, she managed to muster the strength to stand straight, opening her eyes at the same time.</p><p>Straining her arms against the chains, they pulled against the walls, the chain links creaking as she tried to break them. They refused to budge for a few seconds, before the anchor connecting them to the wall finally broke, letting the chains clatter to the ground loosely. Removing the chains, she took a few experimental steps. The first two were a bit wobbly, but after that she regained full control of her body, able to flex her arms and move her legs normally despite the weeks of inactivity while imprisoned.</p><p>Suddenly, both Illya and Berserker felt the ship start to slow down.</p><p>"We...reach the...station, ...contact the bounty hunters...tar and Jan…"</p><p>Lancelot's voice filtered through the gaps in the makeshift metal floor patches blocking access from the bridge to the room they were in. They were most likely close to their intended destination. Sensing this, Berserker knew that time was of the essence, and made her move.</p><p>*DON*</p><p>Lancelot pulled back Guinevere and leapt away from the hole in the bridge as the metal patches flew upward to smash into the ceiling, becoming embedded in the metal. A black figure appeared through the hole, leaping up and landing silently on the deck.</p><p>Lancelot felt a tug on his belt, and before he could react, Necrocalibur went flying towards Berserker, landing smack in the middle of her palm. The moment she gripped them, it's form shifted, red bars of plasma spitting out of the emitters, lightly humming in her hands.</p><p>A second passed as time seemed to stop, with Lancelot staring at Berserker in disbelief, while Berserker stared back cooly, her eyes betraying no emotions. She simply stood there, sword in hand, posture loose and ready.</p><p>Then it was over, as Berserker flew at Lancelot with twin blades, prepared to cut him down. It took Lancelot all of half a second to draw his blade, and then Berserker was on him, twisting and turning, bringing the might of both blades down on him.</p><p>*DZZshhh, Vuon, VUON, Bakyun, ZSHAA*</p><p>Lancelot's sole blade impacted with each blade of Berserkers in quick succession, some being deflected while others were blocked outright. A side slash was intercepted by his blade as he pushed the lightsaber downwards slightly with the flat of his blade, making it miss him entirely. His sword slashed upwards to knock aside the other blade that was on a vicious downwards stroke towards his head, then he held his blade sideways in front of his chest to block the saberstaff, trapping Berserker in a deadlock.</p><p>*SSZZRRRTT*</p><p>The plasma grinded against Arondight, both sides vying for dominance over each other. Lancelot brought his entire strength to bear, pushing down with the muscles of his entire body, the force he was using making dents in the floor as they started sinking in. His biceps bulged, his abdominal muscles and spinal muscles all screaming in pain as they strained to reach the limit. His eyes never left Berserker's face, laser-focused on his opponent, even as the veins popped out all over his face.</p><p>"How are you already awake? The sedatives pumped in your body should have kept you asleep for at least two more days!" It was testament to Lancelot's strength and discipline that even when speaking, the strength he was applying to his blade didn't waver in the slightest. If anything, it had actually increased, his frustration from being chased so many times and getting his chance to finally escape being shattered showing through.</p><p>"I don't know."</p><p>Berserker's matter of fact tone made it seem like she was taking a walk in the park, but in reality she was also bringing forward her full might to win in this struggle. Even as her lightsaber stayed locked with Arondight, her stance shifted to give her maximum leverage against the floor, twisting her waist to bring to bear as much strength as she could against Lancelot. The Altreactor converted all the calories she had consumed into energy at an insane rate, literally heating up her stomach by several degrees.</p><p>In fact, Lancelot piercing her stomach, breaking the Alternium crystals in the process, and preventing her regeneration were actually the reason behind her unnaturally fast recovery from sedatives that would've been enough to knock out a herd of sheep for a week. The Alternium crystals were continuously trying to reform in her stomach, but were unable to do so due to the pipe blocking them, so they were forced to store up energy while her stomach remained in it's damaged energy was released explosively when the pipe was finally removed, letting the crystals actually regenerate more than she used to have, improving the Altreactor's capabilities.</p><p>The semi-starvation she experienced while imprisoned also helped train the crystals to maximize their efficiency, increasing the energy to calories conversion ratio. She had always eaten until she was full before, even when in Cosmo-Chaldea High School, so she had never really needed to make her Altreactor more efficient. Now with the Altreactor larger and more efficient, she was capable of much higher output, with the sedatives quickly being broken down by her Altreactor into energy faster than Lancelot predicted.</p><p>Her strength showed itself as she actually started overpowering Lancelot in the deadlock, her blade starting to tilt towards him as Arondight tilted backwards. Realizing he was losing, he immediately made a sweeping kick while he let the lightsaber push down, the momentum and kick making Berserker miss, though it did shave off some of his armor and cut his arm slightly.</p><p>Jumping back, he glared at Berserker.</p><p>"Why are you chasing me so hard? Do you know how frustrating it is to get chased down so relentlessly, to see the chance to finally escape and yet have taken away from you right before your eyes?"</p><p>"You stole the Dark Rounds face, my Holy Grail, and you yourself was a strong knight and was one of our greatest assets." Berserker stated it as a fact.</p><p>"You don't understand! I was playing the perfect dark knight in the Dark Rounds, enduring the black company environment with virtually no pay and holidays, all for the sake of my ideals. But then I saw the PR head of the Dark Rounds, who was enduring the inhumane working conditions of the Dark Rounds like me, and it was love at first sight! Guinevere and I fell in love, and we consummated it soon after, even bearing a child in secret. I felt like I could endure it after I found my partner, and my loyalty to you was unshakeable at the time. But then THAT man found out, and my workload was tripled, while Guinevere was sent on assignments to backwater planets far away from me, on the pretense that it was for spreading the name of the Dark Rounds! To make matters worse, my son was taken away from me and groomed to become the "Holy Grail" of the Dark Rounds, whatever that means, and that was the final straw. I decided to run away, pushing my entire workload onto my fellow knights (co-workers), and escaped with my family. Yet, you still pursue me without pause, and after so many close calls and almost escaping several times, I've had enough! Taste this, my ultimate form Dark BERSERKER!"</p><p>His rant ended in a roar that rang in the confines of the bridge, making Illya's eardrums shake. His sword disappeared from his grasp, fading into golden motes of light. Black mist started pouring out of the gaps in his armor, while countless scratches and marks appeared on it. Dark patches showed up on his armor, the corruption gradually spreading across his arms, legs and chests, his entire outfit tainted black. The mist rose up to his face, obscuring it from view. After the armour turned completely black, a rustic helmet rose up to cover his head, completing his transformation. A ghastly red glow lit up the thinly-carved slit on the helmet, the only remaining source of light on the armor that moments ago shone brilliantly. Now he was but a shadow, the bottomless darkness of the abyss.</p><p>"Hrrhh, HRRRHH, AARRTHHHUURRR!"</p><p>With the warcry still reverberating in the air, he charged forward like an animal on all fours, ripping out a control panel from the deck along the way, dark mist and red lines encasing it, strengthening into something on par with a D-rank Noble Phantasm.</p><p>His armor clanked and rattled with each step that he took, creaking as it strained against his animalistic charge towards Berserker. In the blink of an eye, he was on her, twisting his body in ways no normal human should be able to slash at her with the control panel wreathed in black mist.</p><p>Berserker raised her lightsaber just in time to block it, but Lancelot's increased strength coupled with his charge blew her off her feet, sending her careening into the glass walls of the deck, almost shattering and sending her out into the vacuum of space.</p><p>She barely had any time to recover before Lancelot rushed her like a maddened animal, swinging the control panel with wild abandon. Yet, his movements were still precise, without the slightest wasted movement. Each slash, each stab was made like it was done after hours of deliberate calculation, the most optimal move to make to conquer the enemy. His madness didn't impair him in the slightest, and his physical parameters were strengthened, turning him into a formidable enemy.</p><p>"AARRrrthhhHHUUUURRRR!"</p><p>Even while trying to cleave her head apart, he still kept roaring. The saberstaff twirled and spun as it desperately tried to block each blow, with her quickly using up the energy generated by the Altreactor as fast as it was being made. A punch to the side with his free hand clipped her side, throwing her off balance, then a swift and vicious kick to her right shin struck her, forcing her to one knee. Without a pause, Lancelot gripped the control panel with both hands and swung like it like it was a baseball bat, and Berserker's head was the ball.</p><p>Her saberstaff barely made it in time, her posture making it hard to push against the floor as she was slammed back into the window by Lancelot's newfound strength, cracks further spider webbing from the impact she'd made earlier. Lancelot didn't let up, pushing even harder as she struggled not to break the window and get sucked out into space. Her feet dug the metal greaves into the floor as she channeled strength into her arms, sweat rolling down her body in waves.</p><p>"ORRAAHHHH!"</p><p>With a warcry of her own, Berserker rallied her strength and pushed off Lancelot's panel, slipping under his legs to escape her disadvantageous position. The panel hit the window and it finally shattered, triggering the alarms, while the vacuum of space sucking it along with the air before a metal panel slammed shit, blocking the opening off. Lancelot had managed to jump back and released his weapon before it even hit the window, bounding to the back of the room in one massive jump.</p><p>"Hahh, hah, fuuuu."</p><p>Berserker breathed heavily, trying to recover as the Altreactor slowly burnt through the remaining calories she had. She needed to find the emergency energy supplies she had always kept on hand, the paste that had been a given to her by Agravain. She had never used it before, but with how things were going, she would definitely be defeated if she didn't get a shounen-like powerup.</p><p>While she was wondering where the hell Lancelot would have put the black paste at, he on the other hand took up something lying in the corner of the room that he had reserved for grave emergencies.</p><p>*whrrrr*</p><p>The sound of a small motor starting up made Berserker refocus on her enemy. And she realized that he was pointing a minigun wrapped in black smoke and crimson lines at her. Berserker mentally sighed.</p><p>"Fuck."</p><p>"ARTHHURR!"</p><p>The minigun opened up with a hailstorm of bullets, raining down on Berserker with all the power of fiery meteorites descending from the sky. Each bullet tore through the ceilings, floor and windows like it was nothing, the floor she was standing on turned to Swiss cheese in an instant. Alarms repeatedly blared as the hull and windows were continuously breached, with metal panels slamming shut in the windows while emergency repair measures activated to seal the holes in the hull with rapidly hardening liquid metal.</p><p>Berserker absolutely couldn't block the bullets at all, knowing it was suicide, so she ran as fast as she could to dodge the bullets coming at her, running diagonally to the side and then up onto the ceiling with her momentum, doing her best to stay one step ahead of the streaks of hot metal aimed at her.</p><p>*RATATATATATATATTATATA*</p><p>The bullets never stopped, a seemingly limited belt of ammunition fed into the rotary cannon as it spat out bullets like Saber speed-eating watermelons in the summer, which is to say very fast. Each bullet whirred like an angry hornet, the bullet paths actually visible as they lit up like tracers, almost forming an almost solid cylinder of light that stretched from the tip of the barrel. In contrast, the whine of the motor was almost inaudible under the din of shells ejecting onto the ground and the bullets being fired.</p><p>Berserker kept running on the ceiling while the bullets tore through the metal she stepped on half a second ago, piercing it like a hot knife through butter. Gathering strength in her legs, she pushed off the ceiling and landed back on the deck, then rebounded off the floor back into the ceiling and then back again, creating craters in the process. She bounced around the room in this manner, a 3D maneuver pattern that managed to barely stave off his assault as he continued firing with amazing precision, the gun not wavering once in spite of the numerous vibrations from the motor and the rotating barrel, as well as the knockback from the bullets.</p><p>By the seventh bounce, she had finally spotted the small black pouch containing her paste clipped to his belt. While the black mist tried to distort it, it still failed to completely disguise it, as if something inside the pouch was actively foiling the mist. Instead, it was like looking through a television with heavy static, and even under heavy duress from the currently ongoing combat, Berserker was still able to see it.</p><p>Instantly, she formulated a plan on the spot to take it back. Reaching into the rapidly depleting stores of energy in her body, she called forth her powers as telekinesis, using "Alter Choke" to rip out all the panels from the control deck and hurling them all at once at Lancelot.</p><p>Lancelot didn't even bat an eye, turning all the panels into confetti with his minigun as it shredded through them like paper, scrap metal, glass and plastic raining down on the deck. However, he briefly lost sight of Berserker for a second.</p><p>"Hrrhhh…"</p><p>As he looked around in confusion, he spotted the end of a black cloak peeking out from the back of one of the stairs near him leading to the upper flight deck.</p><p>"ARRTHUURRRR!"</p><p>He immediately turned and brought the full force of his gun on the stairs, punching several hundred holes into it before finally stopping. The stairs collapsed, revealing a now severely tattered black cloak that was barely held together with a few threads, the owner of the cloak nowhere to be seen.</p><p>*DZSSH*</p><p>He whirled around so fast that he became a black tornado for an instant, then his minigun came into contact with the crimson blade that had been mere inches away from piercing his helmet.</p><p>"Tch!"</p><p>Barely a moment passed as Berserker pulled back a fist suffused with crackling lightning and punched the minigun directly, holding her blade one-handed as it was being blocked by the minigun to keep it in place.</p><p>*KRCH*</p><p>The sound of metal being bent was heard as she rushed even closer towards Lancelot, the lightsaber descending towards his head, the minigun now knocked aside by her punch. Acting on pure reflex, he performed a Dio pose by bending backwards in a way that would break a normal person's knees, while one hand reached upwards to grab the only safe part of the lightsaber, the hilt. The saberstaff was stopped dead in its tracks, unable to move further even by an inch. Berserker tried to push downwards, but Lancelot started applying force to his grip, crushing the hilt and her hand in his grasp, the metal starting to creak and bend as her hand made some ominous cracking sounds. His other hand was firmly rooted on the ground, allowing him to use as much strength as he needed in the awkward position his body was in.</p><p>But right as Lancelot started crushing the lightsaber, Berserker made her move. Her free hand reached out like a snake and snatched the pouch off his belt, her movements sure and unerring as she took her true objective. Lancelot tried to throw her off by twisting his waist, but he was a second too late, and his efforts were to no avail. Acting quickly, she opened the pouch and swallowed it's contents, emptying them into her mouth. Lancelot quickly released her hand and lightsaber after sensing imminent danger, retreating back into the center of the room where the gun had been sent flying earlier.</p><p>The black bean paste consisting of the six fundamental forces of Desire (Soul), Sugar (Power), Sales Location (Space), Cost Price (Reality), Production (Time), and Demand (Mind) traveled into her stomach, reaching the Altreactor and reacting with it to produce an indescribable amount of energy. Like a crisp snap of the fingers, her demeanour instantly changed. Her entire body became infused with energy, lightning crackling around her entire body as it started glowing, increasing in intensity until it was almost painful to look at her. The crimson lightning jumped around the room, hitting random lights and the remaining panels. Wind formed spontaneously around her body, turning into a tornado around her as it shrieked. Mana pulsed off her like a planet's gravity, the durable metal floor warping and twisting until cracked.</p><p>Then it all faded, the wind dying down, the lightning no longed crackling, the mana completely contained as she regained control.</p><p>What Illya saw was a set of armor on a whole other level when compared to before, completely surpassing it to reach heights that shouldn't even have been possible.</p><p>That is, exposure-wise.</p><p>All that was left of her outfit were two metal strips barely covering her chest, and a metal undergarment like plate below. The tights and gloves were still there, but other than that everything else was gone. It was the outfit that Berserker would have received if she had taken part in S*mmer events.</p><p>"Here I come, Lancelot!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 17</p><p>One moment she was standing on the upper flight deck, the next she was gone, a massive crater in the ground where she was standing. Lancelot's entire body tensed, then he turned a hundred eighty degrees to fire at the space above and behind him. The gun whirred to life, hungering to kill anything in it's line of fire.</p><p>*zz-BADONNNNN*</p><p>Berserker appeared where Lancelot had predicted she would be, but the bullets were unable to penetrate the sheer overwhelming power that she exuded from her new weapon, raring to in her hands as it ground each bullet to dust.</p><p>*Znng-Znggg-ZNNGGGGG*</p><p>A throaty growl issued from the chainsaw held in her hands, each individual teeth composed of crimson magical energy, lightning crackling around the black casing of the chainsaw as it spun with speeds exceeding that of a bullet train. The very air itself was being sucked in by the chainsaw and moved into a rotating air blade along the teeth of the chainsaw, the extreme speed and dense mana pouring from it disturbing the air to such an extent that it became able to cut bullets, further increasing the range of the chainsaw.</p><p>Berserker obliterated the bullets and reached Lancelot like a comet, with Illya losing track of her before she reappeared in front of Lancelot. The chainsaw swung down, bisecting the entire minigun in half, along with Lancelot's hand. The lower flight deck was completely caved in from the impact of her landing, such was her momentum that the entire ship trembled. Her speed was almost quadrupled from before, with everything extraneous in her armor ditched to lower her weight as much as possible, including her shame. Despite the high exposure rate of the outfit, she was able to move faster than ever, with bursts of crimson magical energy propelling her from her exposed skin, turning her entire body into what looked like a rocket engine.</p><p>Illya was now peeking at the fight from the main entrance to the bridge, her entire body shaking with the ship. Lancelot's family, on the other hand, had already reached the escape pods and were waiting there for Lancelot's signal.</p><p>With his minigun destroyed, Lancelot was now significantly weaker. Berserker swung her chainsaw again, the belt and teeth spinning even faster, eager to rend his metal armour and body into scraps.</p><p>At the very last second right before he got hit, he managed to manifest his sword Arondight in the path of the chainsaw, the teeth grinding away at the fae metal, chipping away at it and yet failing to penetrate like it did with the minigun. A burst of crimson energy exploded at the point of contact, pushing him away as he slid across the floor, carving two lines across the ruined floor. The environment was now completely trashed, the lower rooms under the flight deck visible through the numerous cracks and craters with the flight deck caved in, the control panels, wires and pipes exposed as sparks, gas and liquids leaked from them. Several small fires burned around them, and it was a miracle that the half the lights were still functioning more or less. The entire room stank of metal and melted plastic, smoke and gas from the pipes choking the room.</p><p>With Arondight in his hands, Knight of Owner and For Someone's Glory were deactivated, the mist receding back into the cracks of his armour as his physical parameters increased even further with his most familiar weapon in hand.</p><p>"AAARTTHHHHUURRRRR!"</p><p>Roaring savagely, he jumped up, scattering metal and debris everywhere, charging at Berserker wantonly like a boar. Berserker narrowed her eyes, charging energy into her legs as she met his charge with her own. Electricity streaked out from her legs, the mana shooting from her skin melting the floor behind her as she rocketed at Lancelot, the chainsaw aimed straight at him. The mana melded into a massive jetstream behind her, a massive cone of energy blowing open the rest of the ship behind her, a beam of light lancing through the ship. Berserker turned into a streak of red light, shooting through the air to meet the blackened blur racing at her.</p><p>A moment of silence occurred when the two of them collided.</p><p>Then a massive shockwave exploded from the point of contact, the air rippling as it tore through the room, nearly blasting open the entire flight deck as the entire ship shook violently, the entire superstructure creaking and groaning ominously. Cracks appeared on the hull, and the lights all failed immediately. Illya's ears were blasted until she was deaf, her body thrown away from the main entrance like a ragdoll as several large pieces of metal were thrown past her through the doorway.</p><p>In the pitch black darkness that was left, the only thing left to illuminate it was a crimson glowing chainsaw that was still running, with half of it sunken into the armor and coming out the other side. The teeth crackled with energy, the armor surrounding the wound melted and deformed as steam hissed out of the opening. Gradually, the spinning of the belt slowed down, the light fading until it became a dull glow as the chainsaw came to a complete stop. Lancelot slumped over Berserker, the chainsaw pierced through all the way in his torso. His armor was shattered into pieces, the torso armor completely blown away, while only tattered remnants of his leg and arm armor remained, the most complete part being his helmet, which was only missing half a side, exposing his right eye, nose and part of his mouth. His sole visible eye was shut, blood dribbling down from his chin while he showed no sign of waking up.</p><p>"It's over."</p><p>Berserker closed her eyes, letting the jets of mana still flowing from her back peter out, her body slowly returning back to normal.</p><p>Until she felt Lancelot's arms suddenly tighten around her, wrapping her in an inescapable embrace.</p><p>"aaarrrRRTHHHURRR!"</p><p>Impossible, how was he still moving? The immense force of the blow had been transmitted throughout his entire body, not to mention the electronic magical energy that should have electrocuted him, rendering him unable to move for a few hours. So why was he able to do this?</p><p>Deep down in Lancelot's heart, in a part unreached by the madness that clouded his mind even now, a fervent desire shone through brilliantly.</p><p>"I will protect the ones I love."</p><p>"AAAARRTTHHHUURRRRR!"</p><p>Putting everything he had into this last ditch effort, he trapped Berserker in his arms firmly as he started walking towards the metal panels that were formerly the windows, slowly picking up speed as he broke into a run, his entire body screaming in agony as the ruptured muscles and blood vessels were wracked with pain. Yet, he still continued, even with blood flowing out from his eyes, nose, mouth and dozens of other cuts around his body, as well as the massive wound on his torso that was leaking blood like a tap. His internal organs were almost pulverized, his senses almost gone except for his sight, which was also half-hidden by the blood pouring from his forehead, but his footsteps didn't falter.</p><p>Berserker desperately writhed and struggled in his embrace, bringing out as much mana as she could muster to melt his arms with the mana bursts she had used earlier, but his arms held fast even against the heat that had started melting his armour, making it fuse to the flesh on his arms. She could see it in his eyes, a suicidal determination that burned fiercely, a willingness to sacrifice his body to take her down. She tried to melt his arms all the way, but it was too late. With one last cry, he reached the metal panels and smashed through them with his body, the metal walls buckling against his impact, creaking, before finally giving way into the void beyond.</p><p>*WHSHHHHH*</p><p>All the remaining air and gases in the room were sucked out by the vacuum, stray metal parts and debris ejecting out the breach into space, flying off with the momentum. A bulkhead within the ship sealed the flight deck from the rest of the ship as the emergency backup systems reactivated, restoring some semblance of functionality to the heavily damaged ship.</p><p>Lancelot abruptly released Berserker once in space, one of his half melted arms breaking off with Berserker as it flash-froze in space, floating along with her away from the ship.</p><p>Berserker activated her mana jets as thrusters, propelling her towards the ship and Lancelot as she held her breath. On the other hand, Lancelot allowed half a dozen black metal cables with iron tips to shoot from his back and land on the ship behind him, anchoring him in place. Slowly, he placed a hand on the chainsaw stuck in his body and pulled, the blood and gore ripped free from the wound freezing into solid chunks in space while floating around. No sound could be made in the vacuum, all that could be seen was the wordless cry of agony on his lips as the teeth ripped through his flesh while he struggled to pull it out.</p><p>Eventually, he managed to get it free, finally pulling it out with one final tug as black mist consumed the weapon, corrupting it into his Noble Phantasm. At that point, Berserker had already reached him, her skin slightly swelling from the lack of pressure around her.</p><p>Even half-dead, with almost all of his energy gone and stuck in space with no gravity, he still retained the skills and experience engraved onto his body. Taking advantage of the anchors, he twisted his body and made several slashes in quick succession, forcing Berserker to dodge as each one came swiftly with the lack of gravity chaining down Lancelot. Unable to immediately control her mana jets with precision, she was forced to dodge clumsily, actually flying out of away from the ship due to her lack of control and out of his range.</p><p>It only took her several moments to right herself after spinning head over heels, her jets now reduced to a more manageable level to allow for greater control. Swiveling back around to face Lancelot, she used her telekinesis to redirect several metallic debris towards Lancelot, using her jets to get her closer at the same time. Lancelot deflected each projectile easily, the black saw teeth of the chainsaw chewing them up with no problem.</p><p>Then red lightning arced through the metal debris, bouncing from one to the other to strike Lancelot directly. Berserker had used them as stepping stones for her lightning to conduct through, allowing her to strike Lancelot from outside of his range. In the condition he was in, he was completely unable to avoid it. The lightning ran through his body, further damaging his nerves and muscles as more charred patches of skin appeared on his body.</p><p>His hand loosened, the chainsaw slipping out of his grasp to drift lazily through space until Berserker extended a palm in its direction and pulled it towards her. After regaining control of Necrocalibur (chainsaw), she turned back to Lancelot to finish it once and for all. Revving up the chainsaw until it was running at maximum output, she slowly approached him cautiously, wary of him playing dead again.</p><p>Just as she was about to close in on him, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something licking at the edges of the ship. Turning her attention to it, she saw it.</p><p>The entire ship was slowly being engulfed in black mist, red lines streaked through what remained of the engines, the hull, the viewports, communication array and the weapon emplacements. Even as she watched, the flight deck in front of her rapidly became black, completing Lancelot's takeover of the entire ship. He had been buying time all along, letting the anchors not only keep him in place, but also corrupt the ship. While it took longer than the instant he needed for handheld weaponry, he still managed to do it with the last of his reserves. However, with his current level of remaining strength, he wouldn't be able to maintain control of it for more than a minute.</p><p>Slowly, the remaining engine sprang back to life, the sublight drives powering up for one last trip. The turrets and missiles installed on the ship that still functioned all turned in Berserker's direction, each and every single one of them locking on to her form. Far behind the ship, out of Berserker's field of vision, a single escape pod ejected, hurtling far enough until it activated it's Alternium hyperdrive, vanishing into hyperspace.</p><p>In an instant, laser bolts and missiles from at least half a dozen turbolasers, missile launchers and laser cannons flew through space towards Berserker, some of the missiles and laser bolts wider than her entire body. Her entire body lit up once again as the Altreactor burned, calories immediately turning straight to magical energy as her body noticeably slimmed, even the excess fat and protein stored away in her body being burned until nothing was left.</p><p>Left, right, up, down, the chainsaw swung in every direction as she flew in space, the harsh conditions of the vacuum all but forgotten as she dodged death with millimeters to spare, while other that she couldn't dodge were blocked by the now ridiculously large chainsaw super-charged with so much magical energy that it was on the verge of breaking. Each bolt dodge, each missiles sliced in half was a superhuman feat that could only be performed by Berserker as she was, in space with only the mana jets propelling her, all while holding her breath and ignoring the effects the environment was having on her body. The massive amount of mana circulating throughout her body was somewhat negating its effects, besides the lack of oxygen, but once she stopped maintaining this form, she was done for. In fact, she could feel her limit rapidly approaching, estimating the end to be about two minutes and a half at most.</p><p>Even as she dodged the lasers and missiles, the ship slowly approached her with the sole engine struggling to push the wreck towards her. Slowly, the engine started to overload from the Alternium reactor as numerous systems shut down, ranging from life support to cooling. In essence, Lancelot was turning the entire ship into one giant suicide bomb.</p><p>The turrets and missile launchers shut down one by one, either running out of energy, malfunctioning or simply blowing up from overheating. But Berserker realized that she wouldn't be able to get out of the blast radius with how close it was now, not even with maximum output of her mana jets which would likely kill her after thirty seconds, with her Altreactor running on fumes. Killing Lancelot wouldn't fix anything as well, since a chain reaction had already been triggered in the ship's core. There was only one more option available to her, and she would have to hope that her compatriots from the Dark Rounds arrived fast enough to prevent her from dying in space.</p><p>"Face the power of the Alter side."</p><p>Her chainsaw's spinning sped up again, the teeth turning into a red blur that solidified into one continuous belt of light circling the edge of the chainsaw. Energy gathered around her, lightning shooting out from her body as she prepared to release it.</p><p>"Altreactor, critical limits exceeded."</p><p>Even with no air in space, she still mouthed the words, their meaning resounding in her mind, unlocking the restrictions placed on her trump card. Mana no longer shot from her back like jets, instead gathering around her entire body like flames, a miniature red sun that staved off the infinite darkness of space. Her hair waved wildly along with them, the chainsaw gaining cracks as it was overloaded with the amount of energy stuffed into it.</p><p>"Through my darkness's brilliance, be returned to elementary particles…"</p><p>Ordinarily, a series of high-speed slashes would be performed here, but now she was compressing all that energy into the final slash, enhancing it to maximum destructiveness. The chainsaw became Broken, the energy begging to be released as it shook wildly in her hands, her body now just a bare outline against the mana forming around, too bright to even look at.</p><p>Opposite her, Lancelot howled silently, his eye glaring at her in defiance, undaunted by the raw display of power. They were only less than a hundred meters away from each other, each side intensely focused on the other. The Alternium reactor started glowing, started from a dull red light visible on the outside hull, then rapidly escalating until it reached a brilliant white that shone like a newborn star.</p><p>Lancelot thrust one clawed hand towards Berserker, as if to reach out and crush her, while Berserker chanted the final line, the name of the crystallization of her legend that had defeated countless mighty foes in the past from both the dark and light side. She opened her mouth and cried it out from the depths of her heart, a silent scream that tore open space itself.</p><p>"CRROSSUUU-KAALLIBBAAAAAAAAA!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 18</p><p>The crimson star of destruction warred with the white supernova, each side vying for dominance. Slowly, the red energy encroached on the supernova's edges, swallowing up the white energy as it started to shrink. In less than a second, the supernova collapsed in on itself and disappeared entirely from existence. A moment later the crimson star followed it, dissipating into the vacuum of space.</p><p>All that was left was a single body drifting in space, bereft of any protection, while another heavily crippled and disfigured body in with black armor fused to its body drifted away in the opposite direction.</p><p>A patch of space near them seemed to stretch, turning the distant stars into lines, and then it snapped back to normal like a rubber band, depositing a black triangular shaped ship much larger than the one that was just destroyed. A docking bay opened, a small frigate flying out of the force field to reach the female body in space.</p><p>"Sir, we have a visual on the Emperor."</p><p>"Bring her in."</p><p>A dark man with a grave countenance gave the order as he stood on the bridge of the capital ship, eyebags sagging under his sleep-deprived eyes. Black armor covered him from to toe, making him almost blend in with the ship's dark decor.</p><p>"Sir, we've also detected another individual further away with biological similarities to the defector Lancelot. Permission to collect the individual?"</p><p>The man on the bridge tightened his hand into a fist at the name.</p><p>"Negative. Leave him there."</p><p>"Roger."</p><p>The frigate approached Berserker, a beam of light shining on her and pulling her to an open hatch that closed as soon as she entered it. The ship flew back to the docking bay and landed, then the capital ship jumped into hyperspace, seeming to stretch, and then vanishing in the blink of an eye.</p><p>The other body was left to drift in space, until a certain other organisation found him.</p><p>But Illya didn't know that, and instead she was wondering how she wasn't dying in the vacuum of space. She was somehow breathing normally, without freezing to death or her body blowing up from the pressure. There didn't seem to be anything more to the dream though.</p><p>"I think it's probably time I woke up."</p><p>As if on cue, the stars, planets and nebulas in the vast space around her started fading into darkness, her consciousness shifting back to reality</p><p>She came to on the snowy ground, just like the last time she had woken up, but this time there was a towering cliff rising up in front of her, with the top all but obscured by the howling blizzard. Where was Berserker?</p><p>Her question was quickly answered when she heard the snarls and growls behind her.</p><p>She turned around, and was rewarded with a red sea of lupine corpses stretching far into the distance, with small hills of bodies stacked atop each other around the only humanoid figure in sight. Then the smell hit her, making her gag and retch before she managed to bring under control, breathing as lightly as she could.</p><p>Several dozen more wolves that were still alive surrounded Berserker, with precious few unharmed, most sporting a grievous injury of some kind. Berserker herself was soaked from head to toe in blood, her cloak slashed to pieces until only several tatters clung from her shoulders, pathetically swaying with the wind. One leg was bleeding heavily, the white of bone easily visible, the red joining the rest of the blood already dyeing the white snow. Several deep cuts were scored on her back and sides, while one arm hung limply at her sides, twisted at an unnatural angle. Even her hair was missing a few clumps, a few bloody grooves running through her right ear as well. Yet, she still stood tall, back straight as she faced the wolves with one hand.</p><p>A trio of disproportionately large gray wolves stilled, then their bodies burst into motion, pouncing at Berserker. They split into three different directions, from the front, left and right like a team. Each one of them had the speed of a car, the wind doing nothing to slow them down.</p><p>At the same time, an even larger wolf snuck up from behind, huge footpads treading the snow lightly, masked by the noise of the blizzard. It stopped just two meters short of Berserker, slightly out of her range.</p><p>*ARROoooooo*</p><p>The three wolves reached her, and in a single stroke she dispatched all three, drawing a crimson arc in the air as her sword passed through each one of them , dealing a fatal wound. The large wolf behind seized his chance, rising up and driving his claws at Berserker's back. The twin blade simply stabbed backwards as Berserker shifted her entire weight in that direction, crouching as she did so. The blade pierced through the wolf as it bent over Berserker with the momentum of the slash, it's body covering her completely.</p><p>At that moment, Illya saw several wolves surrounding Berserker open their maws, and she sensed mana coalescing in their bodies.</p><p>*GAARROOOOO*</p><p>Massive shockwaves emanated from their mouths, making the air ripple as they traveled through it to hit Berserker. Hindered by the wolf's body still on her and her injuries, she could only bear the brunt of the attack and stubbornly hold on.</p><p>Blood trickled out of her ears and nose following the attack, but she somehow shrugged it off and hurled the corpse on her at one of the wolves. It collided with the smaller wolf, the large mass sending the smaller wolf tumbling back into other corpses as it fell limp, it's skill crushed from the impact.</p><p>"Ah, Master you're awake." Despite her injuries, her telepathic voice seemed absolutely normal.</p><p>"Ber, Berserker! Are you alright?" She couldn't help but ask after seeing the state her body was in.</p><p>"Don't worry Master. These wolves are merely mere gnats to me. Rest assured that they will be dealt with swiftly, I swear this on my pride as an Alter. Instead, see your own wounds."</p><p>When Berserker mentioned them, Illya checked herself. She was right, there were several cuts around her body, although minor in nature when compared with Berserker's wounds.</p><p>All along while she was unconscious, Berserker had protected her against the massive horde of wolves that had descended upon them after they fell down the cliff. She had demonstrated such ferocity and savagery that the wolves didn't even dare go near Illya after the first hundred wolves died like they were pushed into a meat grinder. Uncaring of her own safety, she had hurled herself into the fray until she was drenched head for toe in blood, swinging her blade over and over while reaping the lives of these wolves.</p><p>The wolves who had been the apex predators of the forest, had hunted mages and homunculi alike with impunity. Slowly, their strength, cunning and numbers had grown until they could easily massacre a squad of Enforcers, as they had done in the past. Even a Servant would have trouble with them with their sheer numbers and high levels of cooperation.</p><p>However, they had been beaten when this black demon went into their midst and sent bodies and limbs flying, making it rain blood. From far away, an observer would have been able to spot wolf bodies going up into the air, as well as errant limbs being flung around. Sprays of blood happened at a frequent rate, with crimson lighting also bouncing around non-stop, turning many into charred black corpses. Yet, they had also inflicted many wounds on Berserker, her physical vessel containing so many cuts, stab, bruises and internal injuries that it was a miracle she was still able to more or less maintain the same level of skill she had displayed while uninjured.</p><p>She had continued blindly fighting until now, with the several hundred wolves now reduced to a mere dozens. And she would still continue, until her Master was safe.</p><p>Realizing all this, Illya knew she had to fulfill her role as Berserker's Master.</p><p>"Berserker, I order you to destroy all that stands in our way!"</p><p>With a Servant like this, she wouldn't let anything stop her. She would plough through her enemies with the strongest Servant at her side, and she would make the boy who called himself Kiritsugu's son regret the day he was born.</p><p>Berserker had no wish of her own, simply desiring a peaceful life where she could laze around and eat as many sweets as she wanted in a kotatsu. Yet, she was her Master's Servant, and she would definitely fulfill her duty Illya. She would protect her until the day she became the Lesser Grail. Until then, she would always do her best, for Illya and for sweets.</p><p>*DZZSHIN!*</p><p>Her entire body exploded into motion, her entire body filled with power as it left behind scarlet lightning in its wake. Swinging her saberstaff, it decimated the rest of the wolves, ripping them to shreds.</p><p>Meanwhile, Jubstacheit watched them through his familiars inside the castle, monitoring their progress. Looking at Berserker destroy the remaining wolves, he decided it was time.</p><p>"Release the shadows."</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 19</p><p>Berserker mopped up the remaining wolves with Illya providing more than adequate amounts of energy to her. When she fainted, Berserker had cut off the energy supply and relied on her own reserves, which was why Illya wasn't a charred corpse. Her body had regenerated enough od to continue supplying Berserker, healing her wounds as well. Back in normal condition, it was easy enough for Berserker to wipe out the wolves.</p><p>Illya sat on the sides watching the bloodbath, faintly amazed that she had actually massacred the entire pack of wolves in a single day. The wolves that were the terror of the forest were no more, sent into the afterlife. Hopefully, the Servants in the Holy Grail War ended up the same way as these wolves. Illya knew it was unlikely, but she could dream couldn't she? After all, what could be stronger than Berserker? She had even negated the energy from an exploding spaceship with her Noble Phantasm, so it was no exaggeration to say that her Noble Phantasm was on a whole other level despite it being classified as an Anti-Unit Phantasm. She was pretty much set for the War. Smiling cheerfully, she sat on the bloodied snow and hummed to herself, fantasising all the ways she'd torture and kill the adopted boy.</p><p>The one-sided massacre ended soon, with Illya slowly feeling the strain on her body again after only a short amount of time. The test should be over now right? At least, Illya didn't think Acht had anything else you his sleeve. All that was left was to find their way home.</p><p>"Let's go Berserker."</p><p>"Understood." Noting her Master's shaking legs, she decided to ask.</p><p>"Do you want to carry you, Master?"</p><p>"Eh?" It had been a long time since anyone had offered to carry her, ever since Kiritsugu had left. Sella and Leysritt had offered to do so, but she refused them since it felt different. After she got older, they didn't even bother anymore. Still it wouldn't hurt, and she was exhausted after the battles they'd been through.</p><p>"Sure!" Once in a while was fine.</p><p>Berserker knelt down as Illya clambered onto her shoulders, then standing up while securing her legs. Although both of them were stained with various bodily fluids and looked horrible, they weren't bothered by it. Illya brushed some wolf meat out of Berserkers hair that she noticed, before looking around from her new elevation. It was quite a bit shorter than what she remembered of her childhood with Kiritsugu, but it still brought back fond memories. She wondered if Berserker could grow taller if she upgraded her Saint Graph.</p><p>Pointing forward, she smiled cheerfully with blood stained lips.</p><p>"Forwards!"</p><p>"Let us return." Berserker trudged forward through the gorefest, searching for a way back to the castle and her kotatsu.</p><p>They walked in silence for a few minutes before Illya asked.</p><p>"By the way Berserker, do you know where you're heading?"</p><p>Berserker stopped in her tracks before walking again, ignoring her question.</p><p>"Hey Berserker, answer me!" Puffing up her cheeks, Illya pouted. This time Berserker answered her.</p><p>"Trust me Master. My unwavering sense of direction towards the Dark kotatsu will lead us to safety."</p><p>"...So you have no idea where we're going then."</p><p>"What kind of sweets should I get next? Perhaps daifuku? Or higashi? Maybe…"</p><p>"Did you hear what I just said!"</p><p>The two bantered back and forth all the way, getting lost in the Bounded Fields, doubling back and then circling around the edges of the forest before finally coming into sight of the castle. The harsh white marble now seemed welcoming, warm yellow light spilling from the windows like a beacon of safety.</p><p>"Yatta."</p><p>"We're finally here Berserker! You can put me down now."</p><p>Gently, Berserker knelt until Illya could slide off by herself. Smiling from ear to ear, Illya walked to the castle. She could finally take a shower and and rest in the kota-</p><p>Berserker's instincts went into overdrive as her muscles moved before she consciously commanded them, almost teleporting next to Illya to block the shadowy blade descending on her head.</p><p>Illya was blown away by the shockwave, getting hurled away before she finally landed on a pile of snow which cushioned her fall.</p><p>*KKRRRR*</p><p>The sword creaked under the strength of Berserker, but didn't break. Slowly, the saberstaff pushed back the unknown assailant, until the attacked broke off from the deadlock and jumped backwards with eerily similar movements to Berserker.</p><p>Berserker immediately retreated towards her Master, her entire body taut like a bow, cautious if further sneak attacks.</p><p>Slowly, the shadowy figure walked into the center of the courtyard, and Illya got her first good look at the figure.</p><p>They were clad in a black smoky mist similar to what Illya had seen on Berserker Lancelot in the dream sequence, but unlike him it looked like even their entire bodies were made out of mist as well. They were barely substantial, like clouds compressed into a single body. Still, the sword in their hands was solid enough to block the saberstaff. The vague outline of their body also seemed close to Berserker, a small feminine body clad in some sort of armor.</p><p>Berserker hissed at her, something that Illya heard for the first time.</p><p>*Whoosh*</p><p>Two more shadows joined the first, standing at her left and right, their appearances also similar to the first. They brandished their sword, each one of them menacing and silent. Illya noticed that for some reason, each one of them had a strand of hair sticking upwards from the middle of their head, like someone purposefully gelling one strand of hair to stick up like a cornstalk.</p><p>"Master, stand back."</p><p>Illya was confused. Why was she so agitated? She wasn't like this earlier, even when facing the entire horde of wolves and rogue homunculi in the woods.</p><p>"My sworn enemy, the Sabers, have finally appeared. I will eradicate them until not even a molecule of their bodies are left."</p><p>Crouching, she took a stance like a hungry tiger, mana once more blazing off her body.</p><p>"Apologies Master, but I will have to strain your body again. Please bear with it."</p><p>And then she was off, rushing forwards to clash with the three.</p><p>The one on the left moved first, raising her sword to deflect Necrocalibur to the side. She displayed unnatural skill, using a similar fighting style to Berserker that emphasized strength by utilizing the entire body to generate as much force as possible. She also seemed to be wearing medieval armor, with a skirt as well as a blackened longsword that seemed strangely reminiscent of Berserker's single bladed Necrocalibur. As she watched, the servant-like shadow suddenly generated a burst of black mana that pushed her swing to greater speeds, the sudden increase catching Berserker off-guard and bashing her saberstaff to the side. The moment she was open, the shadow servant on the right acted, rushing straight in for the kill.</p><p>This shadow was much taller than Berserker, wielding a disproportionately long Oriental sword, and dressed in Oriental garb as well. In fact, to Illya it seemed like she was wearing some variation of traditional Japanese clothing, and using a very long Japanese sword. Her long hair shrouded in mist swung gracefully in the air as she moved, almost acting like ballerina as she skillfully weaved her way through the snow towards Berserker, her sword poised for a fatal strike. Illya could tell that this shadow had mastered the martial arts of the sword until she had elevated it to an art form that broke the rules of the world.</p><p>Berserker quickly let loose a bolt of lightning towards her, but the Japanese shadow simply vanished from sight, immediately reappearing much closer to Berserker and swinging her sword. With a hair's breadth away from the blade, Berserker managed to dodge it while using her telekinesis to barely nudge the longsword from the other shadow attacking her to just scratch her arm instead of cutting through her shoulder.</p><p>The middle shadow stood in the center all this time, observing the fight as it progressed.</p><p>Berserker recovered and pulled up a spray of snow from the ground, masking her and her opponents from view as they disappeared into the whiteness. Illya could only catch a few glimpses of them through the snow, blurs of red on black, and the sounds of blades clashing. Not a moment later, a shockwave blasted the snow away, revealing Berserker standing between the two shadows, with the Japanese shadow in front and the European shadow behind, sandwiching her just out of sword range. Electricity crackled around both of Berserker's arms, and Illya spotted several shallow cuts in her cloak.</p><p>For a few heartbeats, both sides remained still. Then all of a sudden, pillars of black flame erupted from the ground, rapidly closing in on Berserker. She jumped straight up into the air, snow flying all around. Without a pause, both shadows attacked her at the same time, one charging up an attack on her sword to release a purplish-black beam of energy with red edges. The other settled into a stance before jumping as well, releasing what looked like a single slash, but was in reality numerous slashes that actually made slash marks in the air.</p><p>Berserker crossed her arms, putting her hands all the way back so that Necrocalibur was behind her, then slashed when both attacks reached her. Her telekinesis was used to pull in her in a certain direction as well, letting her rotate fast enough to create what looked like a wall of light to Illya, but was in fact just the saberstaff spinning rapidly with the slashes. Lightning coated her sword and slashes as well, serving as an additional deterrent for her attackers.</p><p>The European shadow's feet exploded with black mana, propelling her like a bullet straight at Berserker. Meanwhile, the other shadow in the air with Berserker charged up her blade with massive amounts of mana, red and black mana swirling around the blade like a tornado, with the blade as a shining white center. Several iron stakes trailing with dark flames shot up right beneath Berserker as well, cutting off her options. Unable to descend or turn in either direction, she quickly came up with a plan.</p><p>Stretching one hand towards the shadow flying up to her, she pulled as hard as she could to increase her velocity towards herself, leaving her back completely open towards the other shadow. Seeing her chance, the other shadow swung with all their might towards Berserker. Only to clash with a shadowy sword that had the momentum of the mana burst behind it, canceling each other out. Berserker had twisted her body away at the last second, her right side still getting shredded until it looked like a cannonball had gone through it, and she was now stuck right between the two of them, but most of her body was still intact. They also served as meat shields for the stakes flying up from the ground, and when they turned their attention to her she threw lightning at both them, the close proximity negating their chances of dodging or blocking the lightning. This, combined with the stakes that distracted them from below, gave Berserker enough time to kick off them with her legs and jump back to the ground away from them. The two shadows, electrocuted by her lightning, took a few more moments in the air to recover before they could land.</p><p>"Berserker, we need to finish this quickly. Time is of the essence." Illya took the brief moment of reprieve to communicate with her.</p><p>"I understand. The previous battles depleted your stores of mana, and battle once more after so little rest would prove suicidal if it drags on for too long. I shall try to finish this as soon as possible."</p><p>Already, Illya was shaking and sweating from the effort, looking like she had a fever, while she knelt on the snow, trying to stay conscious as hard as she could. The few wounds she had sustained earlier actually helped a bit, stinging her enough to stimulate her mind.</p><p>Berserker took a moment to analyse the situation. In this situation, where all three seemed to have a similar level of skill and strength to her, the only way she could win was to catch them off guard and kill them off all at once. Although individually they seemed weaker than her, they were still capable enough to spar with her for a bit, and they were willing to cooperate. Coupled with the fact that she had a time limit, she could only think of one way that was guaranteed to take them out swiftly. After all, it was in her nature to kill Sabers. The only problem was the third one who was still standing in the courtyard, as she didn't seem like a Saber. She would have to deal with her after killing the two Sabers first.</p><p>"Master, get ready for an increased drain of mana."</p><p>Despite her exhaustion, Illya forced herself to nod, conveying her will through their bond. Berserker smiled slightly. Her Master certainly wasn't weak of heart.</p><p>The two faced her again as she charged towards them, initiating the fight.</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 20</p><p>"ORAA!"</p><p>*VUON*</p><p>The crimson blade swung at both of them, a crescent arc aimed at bisecting both shadows. The European acted first, intercepting the sword for both of them with a solid block using mana burst, digging her feet in to completely absorb all the kinetic energy. Berserker was trapped into a deadlock, but as time dragged on, she was bound to win it.</p><p>The other servant disappeared from her spot without a sound, reappearing next to Berserker while swinging her sword. Golden slashes multiplied unceasingly until they formed a radiant black beam that pierced the air towards Berserker. Berserker released her cloak at that instant, using it to hide her from the Japanese shadow, the cloak fluttering slightly in the air as it was held in place by her telekinesis. At the same time, she manifested a glowing arc of lightning that grew to the radiance of a floodlight in a flash and then exploded, blinding the shadow locking blades with Berserker. The shadow lost her focus, and Berserker batted aside her blade while evading the beam from the Japanese shadow, the black beam cutting through the cloak but missing her entirely.</p><p>Instead of retreating, she pressed forwards, not giving the shorter shadow a chance to rest. Lightning burst forth from her hand, homing in on her opponent and circulating throughout her entire body, locking her in place for a moment as all her muscles seized. While her body was rigid, Berserker reached her and grabbed her around the waist, continuously applying high voltage shocks to keep her stunned. Despite her comrades' capture, the Japanese shadow didn't falter, rushing forward with blades at the ready. The odachi whistled through the air with it's speed, cleanly cutting through the snow that drifted in the air.</p><p>On the sides, Illya wondered why Berserker constantly kept moving, even while expending the energy to carry the enemy around and electrocute her constantly. She also saw several patches of snow around the edges of the court-yard being disturbed, forming into tightly packed globes, unnoticed by the combatants.</p><p>She raised Necrocalibur with one hand to block her swing, and they proceeded to exchange dozens of blows in the span of seconds, boundless speed versus a shadowless blade. The sound of their blades colliding in that short amount of time melded into a single harmonious note that rang across the court-yard. Snow drifting down from the sky was blown away by the wind generated from each collision, almost like an invisible dome was around the two of them.</p><p>As they were dueling, the dozen or so snow globes flew from the ground, half towards the Japanese servant, half towards the motionless shadow in the center. The Japanese servant instantly got to work decimating the globes, most of them instantly turning into specks of snow that drifted away with the wind. Meanwhile, several tall pillars of red flame sprang up around the other shadow, melting the balls of snow and the snow around the courtyard immediately, even evaporating them into steam that rose into the air, quickly becoming ice crystals when they left the area near the fire.</p><p>Berserker took the second of opening to charge straight towards the figure in the middle, breaking away from the Japanese servant that had been constantly hounding her. The pillars of flame blocked the middle shadow's line of sight, letting Berserker get within three meter of her. But the instant the pillars faded and Berserker's pale face appeared, instead of readying her polearm to intercept her attack, the shadow manifested countless iron stakes and pillars of flame around Berserker, completely blocking her off and trapping her in cage of iron and fire, guaranteed to roast and pierce her.</p><p>The stakes of malice and flames of hatred reached towards, eager to consume her body in their quest for vengeance. But Berserker didn't falter, her momentum not slowing down in the slightest as she continued charging towards the shadow. The moment she reached the pillar of flame and iron stakes blocking her path, she unceremoniously chucked the shadow she had been carrying earlier into their path, blocking the iron stakes as they pierced her body and the flame pillar that had manifested from below. Using her body as a stepping stone, she jumped straight through to show up right in the shadow's face.</p><p>*SHAAA*</p><p>The polearm she held lit up with flames as it swung towards Berserker, the fabric wrapped around it near the tip not burning up despite the heat. Berserker parried it with her own blade, the lightsaber running past the length of the polearm as sparks flew from it, allowing her right in front of the shadow. Raising her leg, she delivered a swift and vicious kick downwards to the shadows solar plexus, sending her straight into the snowy ground ass-first. She sat down with a *whump*, breaking straight through the tiles and sinking into a hole, looking comical with her legs and upper body pointing upwards and folded together, while her butt and torso remained deep in the crater.</p><p>*Fwish*</p><p>With nary a sound, the odachi descended towards Berserker's neck. With a single look backwards, she positioned her saberstaff so that it would divert the blade towards the ground instead of her neck, the blade sliding towards the ground along the lightsaber.</p><p>Then in a flash, it suddenly reversed directions and swung upwards from the ground, surprising Berserker and forcing her to twist around to block it again. She was promptly placed into an awkward position, as several small stakes rose from the ground towards her back, forcing her to lean to the right in an effort to avoid having her spine pierced. The odachi that had been blocked broke off, and the swung downwards from above this time, the shadow making a heavy swing with both hands in a blow that was composed of equal measures of brute strength and finesse.</p><p>Berserker, unable to leverage properly with one foot on the ground, was forced to bear the brunt of the blow while holding her saberstaff sideways to stall it's approach. Sadly, without solid footing, she was unable to properly hold it back, the odachi sinking low enough to cut her shoulder, while the stakes behind her nicked her sides. She fell to the ground bleeding from multiple injuries, while the Japanese shadow stood above her.</p><p>Wasting no time, the shadow took the odachi and pierced downwards, aiming for her spiritual core. At the same time, the other shadow rushed forward with her polearm, aiming to pierce her head and dispel her chances of escaping.</p><p>Left with no choice, Berserker threw her Necrocalibur at the charging servant, the spinning blade a deadly buzzsaw cutting through the air as it hummed. Grabbing the stakes that had missed her, she pulled them out of the snow and used them to block the odachi, channeling lightning through the stakes and conducting them through the stakes, the odachi and into the shadow's body. The moment she was hit, Berserker shot upwards like spring with a headbutt towards her chin, sending her head snapping backwards with a satisfying *crack*.</p><p>She turned around while the Japanese shadow was disoriented to face the shadow with a polearm, who had deflected her Necrocalibur and was rapidly approaching.</p><p>*BANG*</p><p>A jet of black mana pushed the shadow's body to extreme speeds as it flew across the courtyard towards Berserker, the charred skin and bleeding holes throughout its body not hindering it at all. Berserker's eyes widened in surprise as the longsword became enveloped in a massive jet of corrupted black energy, the huge blade of energy crashing down on her from the skies.</p><p>Until the saberstaff spinning like a boomerang from behind sliced through her neck and cut her head clean off, her body instantly cutting off the mana burst as it tumbled into the snow and rolled several meters before stopping, the longsword back to it's normal form.</p><p>Even before the body started dissolving into ether, Berserker pulled the saberstaff back into her hands while dodging the stakes and flames from the shadow, who was now emitting a palpable air of rage, actually heating up the area it was standing in and making the tiles crack from the heat. The Japanese shadow had also recovered by this point and was on the move, blinking between the fires and stakes to get closer and closer.</p><p>The court-yard was by now completely ruined, numerous stakes bashing apart the tiles and cracking the ground, while pillars of flame burnt the ground into black charcoal, searing the land dry and turning the snow into steam. Craters littered the formerly uniformly flat land, while trenches scarred it from the blades of each combatant, a veritable warzone. Illya was untouched, but her consciousness was quickly fading, her body half-slumped onto a comfortable pile of snow as her breaths turned shallower, the cold seeking to numb her body even as it raged with heat from the output of her magical circuits. A few more minutes was the most she could manage at this point, until her body went haywire from the stress.</p><p>Berserker was clipped in the side by an iron stake, one of her legs singed by pillars of flame, and the final straw came when the Japanese shadow caught up to her. The odachi sat poised in her hands, a deadly length of steel two meters long, "Rengoku-ken". Berserker dug one foot into the tiles, grinding them to dust as her foot sank slightly into the ground, spinning to block the sword heading towards her back. The two swords clashed, stopping Berserker in a deadlock with the shadow. Unlike a few moments before, Berserker was slowly being pushed back by the shadow. Despite her higher rank of strength than the shadow, the rapidly depleting supply of mana from her Master and her completely emptied reserves used up while fighting the wolves was coming back to bite her. Her movements had been slowing down throughout the course of the fight, her strength diminishing gradually.</p><p>Unable to break away, she stood rooted in place as several iron stakes rose from the ground to skewer her legs, locking her in place. Blood ran down in rivulets, blood flowing from her earlier wounds on her side and mixing with the crimson liquid from the newer wounds, forming a pool around her feet. Flames started gathering beneath her, causing the blood to boil and steam. The Japanese servant didn't budge an inch, her blade remaining locked with Berserker as the shadowy face stared at her impassively.</p><p>*ZSHIN*</p><p>"GAAAH!"</p><p>The flames fueled by hatred and vengeance rose up from the ground, swallowing everything in its path. All that was left was a massive scorch mark on the ground, and the crumbling remains of the iron stakes.</p><p>The final shadow looked down in shock at the hole in her chest, blood flowing out of the black mist to land on the frozen ground, steaming as it hit the tiles. Collapsing to her knees, the fake avenger returned to the Throne, taking her regrets and vengeance with her.</p><p>Lying on the ground, missing two legs, badly charred and a huge slash wound diagonally running from her left shoulder all the way to her waist, was Berserker. Illya lay unconscious on the snow near the forest edge, slumped over with a pile of snow as her pillow.</p><p>A few moments of peace reigned in the courtyard, the only sound the whistling of the wind as the blizzard that had slowly been abating through the fight drew to a close. Then the great doors opened, releasing several maids, two of them familiar faces, and a golem.</p><p>Rushing over to Illya, Leysritt gently took her in her arms and carried her back into the castle for treatment, Sella escorting her from behind. The other maids carried away Berserker to a magic circle for her to recuperate from her grievous wounds.</p><p>"Hmmmm, to think the shadow servants would be bested by a proper Servant with so little energy, perhaps it would only be worth employing them as guards in our ancestral grounds." Jubstacheit looked at the ruined courtyard as he thought of the results.</p><p>Taking snippets of Berserker's bodily material as catalysts had proven successful, and with his centuries of trial and error experimenting, he was able to summon shadow servants with a modified version of the actual Grail system. They were however, much weaker than proper Servants, without a proper Noble Phantasm to boot, or even a coherent mind. He also had to sacrifice multiple homunculi for a single shadow Servant as mana batteries, so they weren't very cost-efficient. Still, they were much stronger than your average familiar, and he had no doubt he could find some use for them in the future.</p><p>"Still, who would've expected Berserker to cut off her own legs to escape the trap, letting the flames kill the other servant while she threw her sword at the final servant as she let her guard down. Truly, a terrifying resolve to witness."</p><p>She had suffered heavy burns, a deep slash as the Japanese shadow tried to stop her escape, and last but not least lost both legs while escaping. She would likely be out of commission for a while, but it was a promising sign of the lengths she would go to for victory.</p><p>Taking one more moment to look at the ruined courtyard, he soon turned around and went back into the castle, the great doors shutting behind him as snow fell from the sky lazily, a far cry from the furious blizzard earlier.</p>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 21</p><p>Staring out at the vast reaches of space filled with stars, black holes, planets and more, all twinkling in the distance, Illya couldn't help but feel a fervent desire to see this view just once in reality. Though it was nice to be able to see it in a dream as well.</p><p>Yes, once more, she was in a dream involving Berserker. She wondered if she was a special case, or if most Masters also had dream cycles involving their Servants when they fell unconscious. She couldn't deny that it was quite entertaining to see her Servant's past though, even if she didn't understand most of what she was seeing. This time, she had woken up in another spaceship, in a luxurious room with a dark and menacing interior.</p><p>It was a rather comfortable place, boasting padded velvet cushions on the sofas, optimal temperature regulation and soothing music playing from hidden speakers, while a magnificent view was displayed outside the sturdy glass walls. There was even an aroma of some sort of dessert wafting around the room, tickling Illya's nose and her taste buds.</p><p>There was no one in the room, the only recognizable thing she could see was the "kotatsu", as Berserker had called it, in the middle of the room, along with piles of books and several empty plates surrounding it.</p><p>"Might as well make myself comfortable as I wait."</p><p>She decided to see if she could slip into the kotatsu, walking over to it and opening the blanket.</p><p>Before she could fully open it, she caught a glimpse of some pale creature hiding in the depths of the kotatsu, luminous yellow eyes glowing in the dark.</p><p>"Hyah!"</p><p>Illya stumbled back, tripping over a book and falling on her bottom.</p><p>The creature made didn't come out of the kotatsu, remaining inside silently.</p><p>Illya mustered her courage and opened the blanket to take a closer look at the creature again.</p><p>The blanket flipped upwards, letting the light hit the creature as she finally got a good look at the mysterious creature. Wearing some sort of uniform T-shirt and knee-length black sport tights, a black choker around her neck and glasses, was Berserker. Her hair was tied back in an elaborate bun with a black ribbon, and she laid on her stomach as she read a book intently, flipping the pages every few moments. Illya also noticed two wires trailing from her ears to a mysterious square device lying on the ground next to her. Every so often, she would hum, or take a bun from the pyramid of buns next to her under the kotatsu.</p><p>Illya blinked. Where had the warrior that had literally blown up a ship with her sword gone? It was almost like looking at a completely different person, a completely mundane schoolgirl chilling out at home.</p><p>*swish*</p><p>The double doors opened, sliding aside as a man clad from head to toe in black stepped through. A gravelly voice called out to Berserker.</p><p>"It's time to make a decision Sir Pendragon. The fate of the Empire and the universe rests on your shoulders. Even with the reformation of the Dark Rounds and the voroid armies standing at our beck and call, many threats against stability and peace still exist. The Secret Organization is constantly a thorn in our sides, and several of the Last Masters have also taken a side against us, hampering our efforts in constructing the Saber Star. It is imperative that-"</p><p>"That sounds annoying. Pass. Oh, it's snack time."</p><p>Undeterred, Agravain changed tactics.</p><p>"Think about all the privileges you'd get as the Emperor. Unlimited sweets for as long as you reign, deluxe king-size DaVinci kotatsus, access to superweapons that could obliterate planets and much more. You'll get to have a reverse harem of hot guys around you, hordes of battle voroids at your command, and you can even spout chuuni lines whenever you like since you're the Emperor. There's even unlimited paid holidays, a secret onsen resort located in deep space and-"</p><p>"Where's my snacks? Please call K6 and have him deliver the new Kat Kat bars to my quarters asap. I've been dying to try them ever since they released the new flavours."</p><p>Not even batting an eye, Agravain changed tack once again like an experienced veteran.</p><p>"Alter, think of all the times we spent together. Remember the days when you were just a couple of cells gestating in an incubation pod? I used to visit you all the time back then, taking care of you and monitoring your vitals (instead of relying on that slacker K6-X4). Even though you never said a word, a strong bond was forged between the two of us, mutually understanding each other without needing words. Then the day came when you matured and came out of the pod, and oh what a day of happiness that was. To think that the future empress was right in front of my eyes, I'm ashamed to say but I was so moved back then that a single tear escaped my eye. And all those days spent training you, beating you black and blue over and over until you mastered the basics of combat, and then the image training that-"</p><p>*Vuon, ZSHIN*</p><p>He halted his words as a crimson bar of plasma appeared pointed straight at his throat. Berserker's eyes glimmered dangerously as she stared at Agravain.</p><p>"Shut. Up."</p><p>Agravain nodded as much as he could with the lightsaber pointed at his throat.</p><p>*Spsh*</p><p>The lightsaber deactivated, Berserker crawling back into the kotatsu to enjoy her books again.</p><p>Agravain sighed, but he had expected as much from her.</p><p>"By the way, you have a visitor."</p><p>Berserker turned to him quizzically. Who would willingly visit the hidden capital ship of the Dark Rounds, ask for an audience with her and get it?</p><p>"It's Space Oniisan Merlin."</p><p>Illya watched amused, as Berserker's face scrunched up into the very picture of disgust.</p><p>"Can you tell him I'm not here?"</p><p>"Ah, so there you are Ecchan!"</p><p>Berserker's request was too late, as a man dressed in white robes and holding a bizarre techno-staff walked through the door. He was flamboyant and possessed a whimsical air, soft white hair curling wildly as it cascaded down his back. In addition, a black creature stood on his shoulder, red eyes and fluffy ears twitching as it surveyed the room.</p><p>Berserker instantly dove into the kotatsu and closed the blanket, growling inside as she tried to hide from the monster.</p><p>"Awwww, don't be like that Ecchan. It's just friendly Oniisan who cares about you, right?"</p><p>Crimson lightning shot out of the kotatsu, only to be intercepted by a wall of pink petals that hid Merlin from view. Once the petals disappeared, he was gone as well.</p><p>Several bumps came from under the kotatsu, followed by an animal yowling.</p><p>"Gyah!"</p><p>Berserker burst out from the kotatsu, landing in a four point crouch as she hissed at the kotatsu, looking like a cat. A showed of petals appeared behind her unnoticed, and she jumped in shock as Merlin's voice sounded right next to her ear.</p><p>"Finally got you out! Oh well, I can tell you don't seem to want to see me, though I can't fathom why. So let's get straight to business, shall we?"</p><p>Saying so, Merlin glanced over to Agravain. He narrowed his eyes minutely, before nodding to Berserker.</p><p>"I'll excuse myself then."</p><p>Agravain walked away, ignoring the pleading eyes of Berserker for him to stay.</p><p>"Now then, I'm sure you want to know where MHX went, don't you?" He said with a grin.</p><p>Berserker instantly reverted back to normal, her face serious as she waited for Merlin to continue.</p><p>"I've been keeping watch over the OG Sabers while I wandered the galaxy, keeping the peace as a journeying oniisan. I've seen many Sabers over the course of my travels, the red Saber, the Sakura Saber, the Dragonslaying Saber tribe, the Devil Saber, the Lion Saber and many more. However, I soon started hearing rumors of a famed saber-hunter calling herself the Saber of Sabers. Of course, there could only be one person who fit that description, and so I set out to track down my beloved imouto MHX. It took a while, but I eventually traced her trail until it stopped at the frontier planet Texas Beyond. Knowing her, she's probably wondering around fighting people and pigging out on desserts somewhere around there." Merlin stopped and smiled, his lips stretching a tad too wide for Berserker's liking.</p><p>"So, what will you do?"</p><p>Berserker desperately wanted to release her Noble Phantasm on him and wipe that smirk off his smug mug, but he was unfortunately part of the Caster class, and potential "Grand" too, so she held it in.</p><p>"I'm leaving. You're welcome to stay as long as you want to on the "DARK HAND", so long as you don't cause too much trouble. I hope I never see your face again." With that warm farewell, she stalked out of the room, preparing to leave in search of the person that had awoken her heart.</p><p>It was around this time that Illya started waking up, the colors blending together as the walls and floor twisted and mixed. Yet, Merlin remained unchanged, and even stared straight at her to give her a mischievous wink. Surprised but unable to do anything, she could only wonder if he had somehow managed to detect her in a dream as she returned to the waking world.</p>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 22</p><p>Almost a week after the "training" trip, Illya was snuggled inside the kotatsu with Berserker, quietly peeling tangerines and popping them into her mouth as Berserker inhaled prodigious amounts of wagashi while reading. Her Magic Circuits had taken some time to recover, even with the Spiritual Healing of the Einzberns, and Berserker had remained dematerialized for a few days before she was fully healed. She was grateful for the time it gave her to rest though, letting her relax a bit after the life-and-death situation marathon she had been through.</p><p>However, she hadn't been able to find the chance to ask Berserker about her past up til now, as she had either been in the tank, or drifting in and out of consciousness on her bed for the past week. Now was the first chance she had to actually chat with her Servant. Even as she peeled the tangerine, she opened her mouth to speak.</p><p>"Berserker, can you tell me more about yourself?"</p><p>An utterly normal question, like something two strangers meeting each other for the first time would say.</p><p>"Why the sudden curiosity Master?"</p><p>Berserker looked up from her book, vocalizing her words perfectly even with the wagashi stuffed in her mouth making her look like a chipmunk.</p><p>"I just, I just want to know more about you. Not as a Master, but as a human. Well, even though you're not human. But still, as someone who I entrusted my life to, and who in turn relied on me, it's only natural for me to want to know more about that person."</p><p>It was slightly awkward for her to say since she didn't really have any experience saying something like this to anyone else, but Berserker still got the gist of it.</p><p>"Oh, you can also just call me Illya. Master is a bit too, hmm, formal for me."</p><p>"Then you can call me Ecchan Ma-, Illya-chan."</p><p>"Illya-chan?"</p><p>"It's a term of endearment for loved ones in my universe."</p><p>"I see…" Illya's cheeks flushed slightly.</p><p>"Ah right! That's what I want to know more about, the universe you came from, and the things you've been through. Could you tell me more about them, Ecchan?"</p><p>"Hmmmm, where should I start…" Absentmindedly, she stuffed more wagashi into her mouth. Illya couldn't help but let sweat trickle down her forehead as she looked at the state of Ecchan's mouth.</p><p>*gulp*</p><p>The wagashi disappeared without a trace down her throat, her bloated cheeks returning to normal.</p><p>"I wonder if those "Alternium" crystals generate black holes in her stomach." Illya could think of no other reason for the food to vanish so quickly.</p><p>In a separate room of the castle, Jubstacheit clenched a piece of paper until his fingers started tearing holes through it.</p><p>"How did one Servant start accruing expenses making up almost 10% of our total expenditure? What manner of sorcery is this?"</p><p>The accountant homunculi at his side spoke up.</p><p>"Going by projected growth rates, she might end up taking up almost 45%-50% of our total budget."</p><p>Jubstacheit crumpled the paper into a ball and lit it on fire before tossing it out the window.</p><p>"DAMN IT AAAAALLLLLL!"</p><p>Back in the room, Berserker finally made up her mind.</p><p>"Alright, I'll start from when I was born."</p><p>"Did it have to take that long for you to think!" Illya yelled in her mind.</p><p>"In a galaxy far, far away…"</p><p>It took Berserker most of the day and night as Illya stayed up to listen to her, asking questions whenever her interest was piqued. She learned about the Servant Universe, the Ether Galaxy, the immortality of all its inhabitants, the different particles like Ether, Artorium, Eliza, Gudaguda, the existence of the Dark Rounds and their enemies the Secret Society: Galactic Police Organisation and so much more. By the end of it, Illya's brain was bursting to the brim with useless but interesting facts about a Universe that she would most likely never visit in person.</p><p>"Wow, I get it!"</p><p>"What did you "get"?"</p><p>"That the Servant Universe is a joke universe written to push out new servants for events!"</p><p>"What are you talking about Illya? Have you gone mad? Although I agree that the writers could have put more effort into world-building during the first Saber Wars event, in the end they did patch it up with the amazing backstory in Saber Wars II."</p><p>Is what they would have said if they could break the fourth wall. Unfortunately, for the moment they could not, and Illya fell asleep at the kotatsu, dreaming about Saber Stars, Sabers and a blue-jersey wearing Ecchan chasing an unidentified red-haired boy with her Necrocalibur.</p><p>Far away in a city named Fuyuki, a boy sneezed as he fixed up appliances in the student council room.</p><p>"Emiya, are you catching a cold? You've been sneezing quite regularly these past few weeks."</p><p>"No, I don't feel sick or anything. Maybe someone's been talking about me a lot recently." The blue haired boy with glasses and a stiff air made a small "Hmph!" as he pushed up his glasses.</p><p>"It had better not be that witch Tohsaka. I'm quite sure she can actually curse people just by looking at them. You should be most careful of her."</p><p>"Come on Issei, she's not that bad. She's always on good behaviour at school, and she's got amazing grades too. There's no reason to doubt her so much."</p><p>"I know, but I just can't shake off that feeling. Well, take care of yourself then Emiya, I'm sorry to bother you with such work and leave, but I still have other duties to attend to as the student council president." The boy called Issei stood up and bowed slightly towards Emiya, with a regretful look on his face, speaking apologetically.</p><p>"Don't worry about it. I like helping out after all, and it's not too much trouble for me to do something I'm good at. I'll take them back to their original places after I'm done fixing them all ok?"</p><p>"Much appreciated. See you then." The president walked out of the room as the red-haired boy prepared to perform Structural Analysis on the aged machines.</p>
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<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 23</p><p>You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance ―――！</p><p>The incantation flowed from the magus's mouth like water in a stream, demonstrating intimate familiarity with it and confidence. The streams of light swirled around the circle, the fabric of reality twisting in that very spot as the Throne beyond the Root was touched, sending a Saint Graph through the tenuous link into the material reality that was Gaia.</p><p>The Grail had finally begun to support the summoning of Servants, and this was the very first Servant to be summoned, barring the exception of Berserker who was a blatant desecration of the rules.</p><p>The blonde-haired dark-skinned man smiled at the congregation of energy in front of him, the confidence exuded from him so bright that it rivaled the glow of the summoning circle.</p><p>"With this, I'll be sure to win the Holy Grail! Tremble before the might of Caster future Masters!"</p><p>The incandescence reached a climax before it faded away, the glow fading to reveal a petite girl with a cheerful smile on her lips.</p><p>"Good day! Caster, Artoria, at your service! Actually, I don't really understand being a Servant, but if my piddly magecraft can be of use, please don't hesitate to do so."</p><p>Atrum Galliasta stood rooted in place, staring at the results of his summoning.</p><p>"Master?"</p><p>He quickly reviewed the entire procedure of the summoning that had led up to this moment in his mind.</p><p>First, after he had learnt of his position as a Master chosen by the Magus Association for the Fifth Holy Grail War, he had thought about which Servant he should summon. Since he didn't have prodigious reserves of mana, the three knight classes were out of the question, powerful though they were. Furthermore, he couldn't stomach working with some stuck up knight whose pride got in their way all the time. In addition, the Berserker class was not under consideration as well, since he wanted to be able to control his Servant, instead of struggling to tame a wild beast. That left the three cavalry classes, Rider, Caster and Assassin. Assassin was something he wouldn't even think about, since such lowly and cowardly strategies involving Assassin would never be something he'd ever use. If he was going to kill the Master's, he'd do it by himself, in a straightforward duel between mages where he'd prove the superiority of his magecraft. He briefly considered Rider, since they were known to have a wide array of powerful Noble Phantasms, as well as being less mana costly, but in the end the Caster class was what he picked.</p><p>The Caster class was the most mana efficient, being able to harness energy sources besides their Master to supply themselves, often even possessing the skill to directly tap into leylines. They could also create powerful workshops that could serve as impenetrable fortresses against the other Servants, and this would fit into his strategy of waiting for the other Masters and Servants to weaken each other before he came out at the end to wipe out the remaining pairs. And after all, if they were also users of magic, then surely he as a magus would be able to get along with them, or at least reach an understanding with his Servant. Who knows, he might even be able to amaze them with his extraordinarily efficient modern magecraft that was perfect in every way!</p><p>After picking the class, the next issue was to find which Servant in that class he was going to summon. He wanted a Caster who could fortify their base until it was as impenetrable as the Wandering Sea's base, rumoured to be one of the worlds most unassailable workshops, and it was nigh impossible to find as well. Being able to rely on other sources of mana was also a must as well, as he himself couldn't supply that much, besides using the "materials" that he had on hand. Finally, he also needed a suitable trump card to defeat the other Servants as well, a Noble Phantasm that was guaranteed to have enough power to defeat even Saber, the strongest class in the Grail War. Unfortunately, Caster class Servants tended to lack Noble Phantasms of raw power, instead relying on their territorial advantage most of the time and using their Noble Phantasms as a support tool. But he had heard of some Casters who could possibly summon Phantasmal Beasts, or even Divine Beasts that could level entire towns easily. After all, he had done his research on past Grail Wars, and heard of the fiasco in the Fourth Holy Grail War regarding it's Caster.</p><p>Now, who would be able to summon such a powerful creature as a Servant? He could only name a few historical figures qualifying as Casters from the top of his head. Archimedes, Asclepius, Circe, Helena Blavatsky, Leonardo Da Vinci and… it looked like he would have to do some research.</p><p>A few days later after poring through mountains of dusty scrolls and books, while also using up favours with people who owed him, he finally found the servant he wanted to summon and procured a catalyst for her as well. Medea, the Witch of Betrayal. The princess of Colchis who had possessed the Golden Fleece, who was driven mad by the goddess Aphrodite and made to fall for Jason, ensuring his mission was a success. Later on she was driven out of Jason's homeland with him by the Argonauts, his former companions, and forced to flee to Corinth. There, Jason betrayed her by marrying the king's daughter, and driven mad with grief, she slew all that attended his marriage ceremony save the bridegroom himself, and left to wander the country, branded as a witch forevermore.</p><p>She was certainly a talented mage from the Age of the Gods, with connections to Hecate the Greek goddess of magic and the infamous sorceress and demigod Circe. But that wasn't what Atrum was looking for, what he wanted from her summoning was the ability to summon the monstrous Colchian Dragon, a Phantasmal Beast that had guarded the Golden Fleece in the sacred grove of Ares. With the dragon at his beck and call, and an immovable fortress as his base, he was sure to win and bring prestige to his family. Those old-timers that had sneered and looked down at him would lick his boots when he came back victorious, and he would happily let them do it before he crushed their skulls under his custom-fit Barker's. His position would rise until his family could rival the likes of the Barthomeloi and Trambelio, with him at the head, and maybe, just maybe, the Root would also come within his grasp.</p><p>He couldn't help but laugh at the utter perfection of his own plan, his laughter ringing in the empty study.</p><p>When the day of summoning came, he had placed the heavily rusted blade without a hilt in the center, chanted the words while focusing his od and Magic Circuits, and the entire ritual had gone as expected. So why was he looking at a bright young girl with blonde hair calling herself "Artoria"?</p><p>Unbeknownst to him, his entire workshop was built on the former residence of the most famous magus in the history of Britain, the Magus of Flowers, Merlin.</p><p>He had originally chosen it as a prime location where several lesser leylines converged, and he had also sensed the traces of old magic around the place, but in the end he didn't find anything about the place, so he had simply built his workshop there since there was a convenient path to the Clock Tower close by as well.</p><p>In this case, the entire building served as a catalyst to summon the person with the closest ties to Merlin, since Merlin himself was still stuck in Avalon. He also wouldn't make an exception for Atrum Galliasta like he did for a certain Master in another timeline. In fact, he had taken one look at Atrum Galliasta through through his Clairvoyance, and promptly said "Fuck you!" before gleefully redirecting the connection to a certain pupil of his in the Throne of Heroes to troll the magus. After which he resumed throwing hands with the fluffy beast trapped with him.</p><p>"Come on you little tyke, what's the matter? Can't catch these hands, huh?"</p><p>"Fou, FOOUUU!"</p><p>*WHUD*</p><p>"GAHK!"</p><p>Which now left Atrum Galliasta with a Servant of unknown capabilities. The girl continued smiling, though it was rapidly shrinking in confusion at her Master's continued silence.</p><p>"Master, are you alright?"</p><p>"Gr, GRRAAAHHHH!"</p><p>Tearing out his hair with his bare hands, he started rolling on the ground and throwing a tantrum like a baby. He didn't understand at all, how the fuck had his carefully planned strategy failed? What even had happened?</p><p>"Awawawa, M-master! I-uh, I'll make some flowers, so calm down!"</p><p>If anything, he got even more tilted.</p><p>It continued for another 10 minutes, with Artoria flustered and trying to calm him down while he raged on the ground, and a flamboyant magus trapped in a tower bellowed in laughter at the scene as he was punched around by Fou.</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 24</p><p>After he managed to calm down, he realized that there was nothing more to be gained by throwing a tantrum, and while he was still fuming inside, he decided to curb his temper and learn more about his Servant. If he was lucky, he might actually have summoned something better than Medea.</p><p>"So your name is Artoria? I've never heard of anyone with a name like that qualifying for Caster as well." It did sound slightly familiar to him, but he couldn't pinpoint where he'd heard it before.</p><p>Puffing out her chest, she introduced herself with pride, green eyes sparkling.</p><p>"I am Artoria Pendragon, the "Child of Prophecy" chosen by the "Staff of Selection", the one who is fated to lead Britain to salvation, or that's what Merlin said. Um, I may be experienced, but let's do our best together!"</p><p>It was like she was announcing her identity in front of a crowd while giving a speech. Atrium could feel an innocent charisma radiate from her slim figure, feeling his spirits rise. Perhaps, he could depend on the Servant he had summoned, even if she wasn't the Servant he'd aimed for.</p><p>"Alright, I suppose that's not too ba-wait, did you say Artoria Pendragon?"</p><p>"Yes, that's me!"</p><p>Atrium Galliasta tried to recall the facts of the legends regarding King Arthur. His surname was Pendragon right? Wasn't he supposed to be male? And how on Earth did he/she qualify for the Caster class?</p><p>"So you're the king of Britain that defeated the Saxons and kept Britain safe?"</p><p>"Yes, or well, that's what I'm going to become. The me right now is supposed to be on a journey to reach Camelot, and is still a bit immature. Please forgive my faults." Saying so, she bowed slightly in an apologetic manner.</p><p>"Hmph, as long as you can do what you're told, I don't really mind." Atrum replied dismissively, then realized what he'd just said.</p><p>"Wait, actually I do mind, please work as hard as you can as my familiar." That was close, he was so charmed by her innocence and dreamlike charisma that he had almost lost track of his thoughts.</p><p>"I will, don't worry Master! I have plenty of swords to use against my enemies!" Although slightly put-off by his harsh tone, she still promised him with a cheerful expression.</p><p>"Swords?" Atrum wondered why a Caster of all classes would use a sword. Maybe she used them as catalysts? Whatever, the truthfulness of the legends surrounding her could wait.</p><p>"Ahem, anyways let me see your parameters." Utilizing his right as a Master, he checked her information as a Servant.</p><p>Class: Caster</p><p>Master: Atrum Galiasta</p><p>True Name: Artoria Pendragon</p><p>Sex: Female</p><p>Height/Weight: 154cm 42kg</p><p>Alignment:</p><p>Strength: B Mana: D</p><p>Endurance: B Luck: A</p><p>Agility: B Noble Phantasm: A++</p><p>Class Abilities:</p><p>Magic Resistance A</p><p>Territory Creation EX</p><p>Independent Magic B</p><p>Abilities:</p><p>Charisma of Hope B</p><p>Protection of the Lake A</p><p>Sword of Selection EX</p><p>Noble Phantasm:</p><p>Around Caliburn: Hope's Radiant Embrace</p><p>He narrowed his eyes, unsure of whether to jump for joy or howl in rage. Her parameters were nothing special, the high mana rank and Noble Phantasm being expected of a Caster, though her physical parameters were admittedly high for a Caster. Did that mean she could engage in hand-to-hand combat? Her abilities and class skills were also quite good, with an EX rank Territory Creation that was sure to come in handy, and a surprisingly high rank of Magic Resistance, though it was somewhat redundant considering the fact that she was the Caster of this war. Oh well, it would at least completely negate most of whatever the other Masters could throw at her, and on the off chance the other classes were able to use magic, then it would become an advantage for her.</p><p>However, there didn't seem to be anything she could summon, which hampered his strategy of commanding from the back and keeping his servant safe while sending the familiar to wreak havoc. He would have to understand the specifics of her ability and Noble Phantasm to see if there was anything he could do, and adapt his former strategy to the new Servant. He would not let his greatest opportunity slip away so easily.</p><p>"So, let's start with your Noble Phantasm. What does it do?"</p><p>"It's the deployment of my mental world, enabled by the "Staff of Selection". It will protect and strengthen my allies and myself. Indeed, the six bells shall be tolled for he who will see off the destruction...eh, er I don't what came over me just now. Please ignore it."</p><p>Atrum's confusion mounted at the sudden change of her tone, but with some effort, he managed to refocus on her Noble Phantasm.</p><p>"So theoretically, it is possible for you to keep your Noble Phantasm activated at all times? Is it similar to a Reality Marble? Also, what about your Territory Creation skill?"</p><p>"Ah, let me see...yes, it is technically possible to keep it activated at all times, but the mana cost would be prohibitively high. In essence, I would have to be attached to a convergence point of several major ley lines at all times, and even then my actions would be restricted. No, it's not a Reality Marble that overwrites the world with itself, but more of mental construct built on top of the fabric of Gaia that infuses people with the "fate" that I received from being selected by the staff, empowering them to fight alongside me to reach the conclusion of my journey. For your last question, the Territory Creation skill is actually solely because of my Noble Phantasm. I'm actually quite terrible at making Bounded Fields and the like, tehe." She blushed in embarrassment at the last statement."</p><p>Atrum Galiasta was unamused, but he thought about it. Was there any spot in Fuyuki that fulfilled the requirements to continuously deploy her Noble Phantasm? He'd have to send people to scout the city, besides building his workshop there. It might be possible to arrange for familiars or hired help to be positioned in range of her Noble Phantasm to create an undefeatable army. Depending on how strong the effects were, he could potentially have a small army of Servant-level beings to guard his base. Although it sucked that she possessed no other skill in building Bounded Fields aside from her Noble Phantasm.</p><p>"Then what about your other abilities and class skills?"</p><p>"Well, the skill Independent Magic is really just a skill to justify the unique brand of magecraft that I use, half taught by Merlin, half self-taught. It involves a lot of staff-swinging. The Charisma ability is simply my natural charm!" At this point, she made a pose by lightly tapping her forehead with her fist while sticking her tongue out one side of her mouth, winking cutely at the same time.</p><p>Atrum was ready to strangle her the next time she did something like this. Perhaps sensing his inner turmoil, she decided to be serious again.</p><p>"Um, the Charisma is simply because of my status as the Child of Prophecy, endowing me with the ability to bless other people with morale just by being near them. Protection of the Lake is the blessing bestowed upon me by the fae, and Caliburn: Sword of Selection signifies my eventual fate as the King of Britain, a future locked on to that will not be denied."</p><p>"I see, based on your skills you should be more suitable as a backline support Servant. If we could somehow work out an alliance with one of our competitors, then it could be possible to use you to your full potential. Outside of that though, you're quite useless." Atrum finished his assessment without a hint of sarcasm.</p><p>"Waah! What do you mean I'm useless? I'll prove it to you right here and now, the power of a village girl mistakenly given magic powers by a suspicious uncle!" She suddenly became fired up, eager for the chance to prove him wrong as she settled into a stance. The large gray helmet/hat on her head jumped up slightly, as if something inside it had shot straight up, but Atrum couldn't imagine there being anything in there besides her hair.</p><p>"C-calm down Caster, don't make a scene here, or else I'll use my Command Seals." Saying so, he brandished them in front of her as a threat, waving his hand in her face. Disgruntled, she was still forced to settle down with a pout on her face.</p><p>"Muuu…"</p><p>With that straightforward attitude of hers, at least he wouldn't have to worry about being betrayed or backstabbed by her, unlike if he had summoned Medea, who was famed for betrayals.</p><p>"How about let's go outside, and you can demonstrate your combat capabilities?" His estate was surrounded by Bounded Fields after all, so even if there were loud noises or suspicious lights, nobody would notice.</p><p>"Alright, lead the way Master!"</p><p>She quickly cheered up again, a chance to show off presenting herself. It seemed like she would be easy to manage as well.</p><p>They went up an elevator, during which Caster marveled at the shiny buttons and electrical lights, then they reached the surface. Stepping out of the steel box, he led her to a large field.</p><p>"Here you go. This should be enough space for you to demonstrate." Originally, he had planned to summon the dragon here if something happened to his base in Fuyuki, but since that wasn't happening anymore, he might as well let her use it.</p><p>"Thanks! It's my turn to shine now. I, Caster Artoria, will do the best I can! Yaay!" Privately, he wondered why she had to spout such unnecessary things out of her mouth.</p><p>She angled the staff downwards as mana started flowing through her body, strengthening it and buffing her physical parameters. Blue energy rose in a pillar with her as the center, making it seem like he was looking through a wall of water at her. She then pulled out one of the bullet shaped capsules strapped to the dress on her breast, and inserted it into the staff. This looked...interesting, to say the least.</p><p>Without warning, she dashed forward in a blur, crossing a hundred meters in mere seconds while tearing up the grassy turf. The staff glowed with energy as she swung it like a bat in the air, exploding with crackling blue energy each time it hit the imaginary enemy.</p><p>"Eii!" She jumped into the air after making a few swings, swinging the end of the staff upwards while gripping the end with both hands, then shifting her grip until she was holding it like a spear aimed downwards.</p><p>*ZZISHIN*</p><p>A laser stream of magical energy shot from the end of the staff downwards, creating a large crater in the ground. The burst propelled Caster up into the air backwards as well, while she threw something at the crater mid-air. Once she landed, she pointed at something dropping through the air towards the crater, then fired another beam from her staff.</p><p>"Burst, Chastiefol!"</p><p>The beam hit the sparkling blue dots glittering in the air, and they exploded as well, vaporizing more soil and air. Finally she raised the staff and then thrust into the soil deeply, the top of the staff glowing with blue light as it charged up an attack that hit the previous areas, a huge pillar of blue light the size of a house rising from the craters and obliterating the entire area, the air and several unfortunate bird familiars that were flying above.</p><p>After that brief display of power, she turned to her Master, smiling brightly.</p><p>"Well, what do you think?" She beamed at him, hoping for praise of some sort.</p><p>And then she noticed that he was completely covered in grass and dirt. He looked like a mole that had been digging tunnels in the field for days. She had been a bit too overzealous while demonstrating her abilities, and the explosions became a tad too strong, ejecting large amounts of debris into the air.</p><p>Gritting his teeth, he brushed away the soil on his face with a handkerchief, his face livid beyond description. Caster trembled as she clutched her staff closer to her chest. Somehow, with an immense effort, he managed to hold in the rant he was about to unleash on Caster.</p><p>"I'm going back to clean up."</p><p>He walked back to the building that concealed his workshop, cursing his luck non-stop under his breath all the while. Caster breathed out a sigh of relief, rubbing the back of her head.</p><p>"I guess I just have to prove to him next time that I'm useful!"</p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 25</p><p>He fumed in the showers while Caster explored the workshop. He didn't deserve such an inferior servant. She was a Caster, but she didn't have a basic grasp of magecraft that even the most novice of mages would know. Her style of fighting was so crude, and she was so honest it made him want to vomit. Honestly, he would have much preferred the Witch. Even though there was the ever-present danger of being betrayed by her, at least she wasn't so naive and inept. There were also the Command Seals, which were an absolute safeguard against the Servants in case they rebelled. He could just order her to commit suicide in an emergency.</p><p>Suddenly, alarms started ringing outside. Hurriedly, he dried himself and threw on some clothes, running to the main control room in panic. What was going on? Red lights blinked on the ceiling as the hallways echoed with his footsteps and the sirens, as several of his assistants rushed past him. Although there were no obvious signs of penetration or enemies, it was still disconcerting.</p><p>"Caster, where are you?" He received no answer, making his heart beat faster. Quickening his pace, he arrived at the control room.</p><p>He rushed through the reinforced steel doors to see his assistants panicking, many of them trying to shut down certain systems or activate the security measures.</p><p>"What happened?" He grabbed the nearest and shook his shoulders, demanding an answer.</p><p>*BOOM*</p><p>The ground under his feet shook, the glass overlooking the "factory" in his workshop shaking with the tremors. Several more alarms started sounding, as many more indicator lights on the control panels started blinking rapidly. Several cries could be heard through the speakers, issuing from the "factory" floor. Pushing aside his assistant's roughly, he looked at the screen showing footage from the camera-like familiars placed around various spots in the workshop. Despite being a magus, he wasn't as adverse to modern technology and systems, instead embracing them and heavily incorporating them into his magecraft, which could be readily seen from the entire workshop's design.</p><p>On the screen, he could see Caster advancing through the "factory", liberating the raw materials and knocking out the workers that were trying to stop her. Even the gunfire failed to faze her, as a blue barrier was conjured in front of her, blocking the bullets, and then azure explosions popped up around them, blasting them away.</p><p>"Caster, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" He still received no response, and he focused his will, about to use the Command Seals etched on his hand.</p><p>Except, he couldn't imagine her betraying him, unless she had a good reason. Maybe there was something more to this. Gritting his teeth, he decided that if he couldn't mentally talk to her, he would have to do it face to face. He sprinted to the elevator, his body moving fluidly with practiced ease, as he did actually train his body as part of his daily habits. He slid into the box and mashed the buttons repeatedly, pushing them in the vain hopes that it would close faster. When the doors didn't even budge, he realized that she had broken them, and cussed hard, running back out the doors to the stairs.</p><p>In the interval while running down the stairway, he heard more alarmed yells and explosions, rocking the ground as dust fell from some new cracks in the ceiling. The lights flickered momentarily, before stabilizing again. What was his Servant doing? Despite the urge to use his Command Seals, he restrained himself. Somewhere deep inside him, he believed that Caster wouldn't betray him for no reason. If it had been Medea, he would have immediately used them without hesitation, but unbeknownst to him, her Charisma had managed to win him over to a certain degree, burrowing into some deep recess of his heart and implanting the thought that she was someone he could rely on in a pinch. In addition, he couldn't help but be reminded of… well it didn't matter right now.</p><p>Rushing out the double doors, he ran straight for Caster, sensing her magical signature clear as day. He ignored the workers crumpled on the ground and the materials spilt on the ground, beelining for the blonde haired girl walking ahead with purpose, sowing chaos in his workshop.</p><p>She wasn't moving particularly fast, so he managed to catch up to her quickly enough. She made no attempt to stop him when he came within a meter of her, and instead turned around to face him, no longer any sign of the bright and innocent smile she had worn earlier.</p><p>"Caster, what are you doing? Why are you destroying the workshop I sacrificed so much to build? This is the culmination of my life's work, the perfe-"</p><p>"Sacrifice? Master, the only thing you're sacrificing are these people's lives."</p><p>Her emerald eyes now held a steely determination in them, glaring straight into his own sapphire blue eyes and holding him captive. Her tone brooked no argument, simply stating a cold, hard fact. Despite her height, it felt like she was looking down on him. Swallowing his fear, he straightened his back and stared right back at her, refusing to lose to her.</p><p>"These aren't people, they're just raw materials for the workshop. In fact, they're being used to make something much more precious than they would ever be if they lived their lives fully. Don't you understand? I'm giving them the chance to be something useful, and this process is surely the peak of modern magecraft, allowing me to completely skip the incantation process. Something like their bodies is cheap compared to what it's able to ach-BWEGH!"</p><p>The staff swung in a blur that he couldn't track, colliding with his cheek with a sharp *Crack!* and sending him spinning until he lost his balance and fell to the ground, clutching his stinging cheek as stars swam around in his vision.</p><p>"H-how, HOW DARE YOU!" She took a deep breath, steadying her trembling voice. The sudden outburst shocked Atrum into silence, reducing him to simply staring at her as her entire body shook. Her hands were both clenched tightly into fists as she gazed at him with fiery eyes, flames and something else dancing in the grass-green iris.</p><p>"Their lives are cheap? CHEAP? No life is cheap, not theirs, not yours, not mine, not anyones! You think they'll become more precious as a mana crystal? You're wrong! Have you seen the billions of people living on this Earth? Each and every one of them holds potential to be something great, and even if they never realize it, simply living their lives gives them meaning greater than anything a mana crystal would ever achieve!" Tears pooled in her eyes, her nose starting to feel stuff as she felt herself hiccup, but she persisted.</p><p>"I was just an ordinary village girl, the type you could find anywhere, but I was still selected by the staff. It could have chosen anyone else, people even stronger and smarter than me, people much more qualified to become the King of Britain. But it chose me, a village girl from the sea shore near Tintagel. Do you know why it chose me?" Atrium could only dumbly shake his head at her furious tirade.</p><p>"Because I was me! I was the unique individual called Artoria Pendragon, and nobody else could take my place! A precious treasure that nothing else could ever replace. And the same applies to every single person living on this planet. The beggar on the street? The cook in the kitchen? The mother nursing her babe? The babe being fed? The soldiers standing guard at the prison, and the prisoners in the cells? They're all equally precious, and that's why I want to protect Britain. They are my people, and I will protect them all as if they were my children. No, they are my children. In the darkest of times, when all seems lost, I am the one who will shine hope's radiant light on them. Even as the bell tolls , I will fight along with them and become their strength as they become mine. I want to lead them to an everlasting paradise that will embrace them all, I want, I w-want to-" At this point, she was about to break out into sobs as she poured out all her feelings to her Master. It never happened, as she sucked in the snot in her nose, straightening her back and forcefully stifling her hiccups while she puffed out her chest in a show of strength, even as tears streamed down her cheeks.</p><p>"I WANT TO SAVE THEM ALL!"</p><p>She was just a naive, immature girl from the countryside. An innocent and very energetic one. She had the figure of a perfectly commonplace girl who hated to lose, was strong in the face of criticism and adversity, valued the surrounding atmosphere more than anything else, and hid her true feelings from everyone. Yet in this moment, when she unveiled her feelings, she was like a star. In that moment in front of Atrum Galiasta that stretched to infinity, a brilliant star had descended in front of him. A star of promise, that gathered true knights around the Round Table.</p><p>It felt like forever, but in reality it was only a few minutes before he came to his senses.</p><p>"Ok." It was all he could manage as his brain struggled to resume their higher functions. Caster stared at him as she sniffled through her nose, desperately trying to wipe away the tears that stained her face and dress, dark lines running down the pristine white. Slowly, he stood back up and approached her.</p><p>Caster stared at him warily, but ultimately didn't do anything, still furiously scrubbing her eyes with her gloved hands, trying to fix away the waterworks malfunctioning in her eyes.</p><p>"Here, use this." Atrium pulled out a handkerchief from his breast pocket, offering it to her with one hand.</p><p>*sniff, hic*</p><p>"Th-thanks." She accepted it and proceeded to dab at the corners of her eyes, the rivulets of water quickly soaking the entire handkerchief. In the awkward silence that followed, he waited for her to calm down while she looked downwards, desperately trying to plug the leaky holes in her eyes. After a while, she finally managed to stop, looking back up at her Master, though her nose was still sniffling, and the hiccups continued.</p><p>"I'll dismantle it."</p><p>Caster stared at him in shock.</p><p>"You will?"</p><p>"Yes, everything."</p><p>"Ah, I-i didn't expect it to work, but I think, um, I mean that's good! Ehehe, I knew that deep down, Master wasn't such a bad person." At this, he turned aside, trying to hide his blush, unable to stand the sight of her innocent smile that beamed with joy from the bottom of her heart.</p><p>"A-ah, it'll be such a pain though, having to start from scratch. *Sigh*, seriously I don't even know where to start from."</p><p>"A-ah, then maybe I could be of some help? Even though I don't know much about magecraft, embarrassing as it is for a Caster, there could still be something I could help with. Don't hesitate to ask for my help ok? Fuh!" She clenched her fists to her chest, looking determined(and cute).</p><p>"Hmph, as if I would ever seek the help of such a mediocre Servant like you. A-at best, I'd just ask you to clean up the failures, or something like that." She was too adorable, he tried closing his eyes to avoid her innocence from bewitching him, to no avail.</p><p>"Eeeehh? Is that really how useless I am? Muuuu…" At this, she pouted with teary eyes.</p><p>"But, as long as Master is willing to rely on me in something, I'll be happy. I'll say this once more, let's do our best together, Master!" The gentle smile pierced his heart, forcing his lips to twitch upwards in a way that felt alien to him. How long had it been since the last time he had genuinely smiled?</p><p>"You had better do your best then." The words seemed harsh, but the face said otherwise. Caster's smile widened as she walked back with him, light shining once more within the blackened heart.</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 26</p><p>Dismantling the entire system took time, and many of his assistants and workers left him. Although they didn't say anything in front of him, he could hear them whispering behind his back.</p><p>"That man...dismantle everything...give up everything?"</p><p>"Son of...I was getting paid so much…"</p><p>"I don't under...it was perfect."</p><p>...am I going to find a new employer?"</p><p>Many of them cursed him behind his back, while others were simply confused at his sudden actions. But he would not be swayed by others, and released as many of his employees as needed, completely shutting down the factory.</p><p>The equipment, he simply destroyed in the field with a few lightning bolts, even though Caster offered to help destroy them, and quite eagerly at that. He would bear the burden of his own mistakes and take that responsibility himself, instead of letting someone else take it from him. He still had his pride after all. Seeing the tubes and transparent cylinders melt and twist under the intense heat of the electricity left him satisfied, even if he didn't show it on his face. After they were twisted beyond recognition, he transmuted the materials into organic materials that burned easily, and scattered the ashes across the grassy field.</p><p>"Huh, you liquified them? Th-that's horrible! Come, we have to bury them somewhere suitable!"</p><p>Caster found the remains of some of the young girls that he had yet to utilize, and persuaded him to bury them properly. Since he didn't really have anything on hand to store their liquid corpses, he was going to use one of the cylinders to serve as their coffin, but Caster immediately rejected that idea.</p><p>"Idiot?! There's no way they'll rest in peace in that!"</p><p>He bit back a retort that they were already dead and didn't have feelings, instead using his alchemy to turn a piece of the soil into solid stone in the shape of a rectangular box, and poured their remains inside.</p><p>"May you rest in peace, nameless souls." Caster bowed to them and closed her eyes, granting them a proper final rest as she clasped her hands together and prayed for them. Grunting in effort, he shoveled soil into the stone box, and transmuted into stone as well, sealing the coffin for good. Caster sank her staff into the soil slightly, and closed her eyes to focus. A soft golden light lit up the surroundings as the sun dipped below the horizon, the orange rays mixing with the golden aura around her. All around the box and on the soil on top of it, pink flowers sprung up in an instant, coating the floor in a small pool of pink petals. Taking a look at the makeshift grave, she appeared sad even as a small smile graced her face. Atrum stared at her, then at the flower-laden grave.</p><p>"Let's go, we still have the young girls still alive to deal with."</p><p>"Ah, that's right. Alright, let's find them a new home!"</p><p>She quickly regained her cheer, a bounce in her step as Atrum followed behind her.</p><p>They descended into the bowels of the now empty workshop and headed for the former assistant's quarters, now housing the young girls originally meant for the system as raw materials. They were all terribly weak and confused, having been fed nutrients through tubes the whole time and kept drugged to ensure their cooperativeness. Now, they sat silently on top of the beds, neither happy nor sad, instead more like docile sheep on a farm.</p><p>When Caster opened the door, they barely reacted, with only a few glancing her way.</p><p>"Girls, it's time to find you new homes! But first, let's get you fed and clothed properly, as well as a good night's rest." Her positivity was unabated by the gloomy atmosphere that permeated the entire room, but none of them even so much as blinked.</p><p>"Hmmm? You know, there's hot food waiting for you upstairs, and it won't be so good if it goes cold, right?" Once more, there was no reaction.</p><p>At this point, Atrum couldn't stand watching from the side any longer, and pushed in a cart with a cauldron of steaming soup and enough bowls for all of them. Taking a ladle from the cart, he thrust it into Caster's hands.</p><p>"Just give them the bowls of soup and let them drink from it. They're still numb from the drugs administered to them, but give them food and they'll automatically eat it by instinct." Caster stared at him incredulously for a moment.</p><p>"What? You expect me to scoop it for them and personally hand it to each girl? Don't be ridiculous, I already prepared the soup and pushed it down here, it's your turn to be useful now, Servant." Saying this, he turned away and haughtily turned up his nose in typical magus fashion.</p><p>"Ah, no, it's just, I didn't expect Master to be so thoughtful. I wouldn't have thought of bringing the food down here and feeding them." Caster smiled brightly as she said this, and quickly went to the cauldron to start scooping the soup for the girls.</p><p>"Hmph, it's only to be expected of a genius like me." Still, he couldn't help but feel something in his heart when she praised him. He leaned back in the doorway and watched her hand the bowls to them one by one.</p><p>Suddenly, he felt a warm presence on his leg. When he looked down, he saw one of the girls leaning on his leg, eyes shut as her chest slowly went up and down, shiny black hair fluttering around his pants as her small head rested on his knee.</p><p>"Fuh, hah, fuh, hah." She slept without a care on the leg of her former captor, the man who days ago would have sacrificed her without hesitation for mana crystals (QP).</p><p>"Oy, don't fall asleep on my leg." When she gave no reaction to his warning, he slowly knelt down and gently put his arms under her back and legs, lifting her feather-light body into the air.</p><p>"At least sleep in a bed or you'll hurt your back…" He muttered under his breath as he carried her to one of the bunk beds, carefully laying her on the mattress and smoothing the hair out of her face while putting a pillow under her head and adjusting it until he felt she was comfortable. On the other side of the room, Caster looked at the scene, and her smile grew brighter.</p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 27</p><p>It took them nearly a month to finally send the girls back to their original parents or to orphanages that would take them, with Atrum constantly working in the dead of the night to fill in the forms and paperwork that would guarantee their safety. Caster spent the time feeding and playing with them, slowly restoring them to some semblance of normality. The stock of mana crystals that he had left was slowly depleted with each day, but he didn't object to her manifesting, even once.</p><p>As soon as they sent the last girl away, with the girl hugging Caster and even Atrum before he wiped her mind clean of any memories of magecraft, as he did for all the girls before her, they left for Fuyuki. Atrum packed the remaining materials and tools he might need, and then they set off for the airport. There was no need to delay after all, and he was keen on meeting the supervisor from the Church to see which Servants had been summoned, and find out if he could strike an alliance with them. The faster the better, since there was a danger that they would ally with each other before he even got the chance, and attack him once he appeared in Fuyuki.</p><p>He kept Caster in physical form all the way through the trip, even on his private jet. Although she was just an exceptionally powerful familiar, a Ghost-Liner type, it still felt wrong to him to confine her to her spiritual form. There was no need to grant her any privileges that a normal human being would need, but he would do whatever he wanted to with his Servant. All along the way, she couldn't stop from marveling at all the sights on the path to the airport.</p><p>"Oh, oh! Is that a "car"? It's much faster and waaaay more comfortable than a horse! Hmmm, though I think I still prefer being able to feel the warmth of a living being under me. Something about riding a horse just calms me down, you know?"</p><p>"Wow, look at all those tall buildings! They're even made of glass and steel instead of stone, and something called, uh, "concrete"? But they really look amazing!"</p><p>"Heeeh, what's that? That shiny sign advertising some sort of food, several balls on top of a reversed cone...is that the famed ice-cream I've heard about? Master, Master, can we try it later?"</p><p>"Ueeeeh! What was that loud rumbling over us just now? That surprised me, was that one of those "planes", the steel boxes that can fly from place to place? Civilization really has advanced since my time."</p><p>"Oh, over there Master, look at that! They're dueling in broad daylight on the streets! Eh? That's not real fighting you say? But they're using these strange glowing swords that hum, and it looks really cool! Maybe I can try to get one of those later…"</p><p>"That hair...could they be the "Goth punks" I've heard about? Their face paint reminds of the Saxon's warpaint, though honestly they look much less threatening. I guess there are all sorts of people in the world!"</p><p>"Uwah, so many people are crowded around here in this "airport"! I can see people from all sorts of places gathered around here travel to places around the globe, it's sort of like what I want Camelot to be like! I mean the part about many people of different races getting together, though having an airport in Camelot doesn't sound too bad either. Being able to travel to a sunny beach any time you want...ufufu."</p><p>Atrum was exhausted by the time the private jet took off, forced to deal with Caster's non-stop commentary about the sights along the way. If it wasn't for the fact that his image would be ruined if he started yelling at a little girl, he would have roared at her to shut up. As it was, mentally telling her to do so only resulted in her staying silent for five minutes, before something new came up to pique her interest. In that regard, she really was like a village girl who had just come from the countryside, and was astounded by the modern city.</p><p>He collapsed on a plush chair in the jet and fell asleep almost instantly, giving in to the allure of rest. Unlike Illya, he experienced no dreams cycles, instead dreaming about the conclusion of the Grail War and his eventual victory, culminating with him going back to the Clock Tower and forcing the three main families to step down, even adding Barthomeloi Lorelei to his harem. He drooled in his sleep while Caster looked on, giggling to herself quietly.</p><p>The fourteen hour flight passed uneventfully, with Atrum waking up midway to readjust his bio clock for the time zone in Fuyuki, eating dinner with Caster and then watching a movie with her on the large screen TV he had installed. The movie was about a band of rebels fighting against a massive space empire equipped with planet-destroying weapons, and they waved around glowing swords and spoke a of mysterious "Force" that aided them as they fought against the seemingly invincible "Darth V*der". The reason he had chosen this one was because she had nagged him constantly about the cosplayers she had seen on the street earlier, and he decided to just show her the movie to make her shut up.</p><p>"Help me, Ob*-wan K*nobi, you're my only hope!"</p><p>"I find your lack of faith disturbing."</p><p>"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid."</p><p>"Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?"</p><p>"Use the Force, Luke."</p><p>She stayed quiet throughout the entire film, spellbound by the fictional events playing out on the black screen in front of her eyes. After the credits started rolling, the dam burst.</p><p>"That was so amazing! Did you see that at the start, those massive steel triangles in space shooting those huge lasers? That blonde guy also shot the torpedoes into that tiny hole and went all the way through the pipe into the core! That old guy also disappeared when he got hit like a magician, and using this "Force" seems really cool! TheDeathStarshotahugebeamthatdestroyedtheentireplanetandtheoldguycouldstillfillitinhyperspace,likehehadClairvoyanceEX,andtheblackvillainwouldhavebeenamazingasaServant" Her words sped up to the point that Atrum could no longer make sense of what she was saying at the end, and the headache forced him to go back to sleep, while she continued to rant herself and proceeded to binge watch the rest of the trilogy.</p><p>They arrived at the Fuyuki International Airport soon after she finished the final film, still hemming and hawing about the films, and he started regretting letting her keep physical form. An accomplished magus, chosen for the Holy Grail War with millions in financial assets, yet he couldn't make a single girl shut up, even if she was a Servant.</p><p>His chauffeur drove them off to the workshop he had prebuilt before their arrival, and he dropped off his belongings there, after which they headed straight to the local church on the hill near Miyama Town. The car stopped outside the black metal gates, and they got out, with Caster finally back in spiritual form after he commanded her before they left the plane. One could never be too careful, especially in affairs involving magi. Pushing open the creaking gates, they stepped through the paved road and past the marble statue, entering the wooden double doors.</p><p>There standing in front of the altar in black robes, was the supervisor, Kirei Kotomine.</p><p>"O lost lamb of the flock, have you come here to make a confession? Fear not, for the Lord will surely listen, and pardon you of your sins, for he is a loving God that forgives his children." His baritone voice echoed around the empty church, a deep timbre that soothed the soul as soon as it entered their ears. A slight smile was on his face as he turned around to face them, the golden cross around his neck motionless with its weight. Unruly brown hair stretched until it reached his shoulders before curling upwards, and his dark brown eyes twinkled under the church lights, but without a hint of warmth in them.</p><p>Immediately, Atrum was on guard, his back instinctively straightening as he almost activated his Magic Circuits.</p><p>He didn't know why, but deep inside him on some basic, primal level, he understood that this man standing in front of him was fundamentally wrong in some way. Yet, there was nothing to substantiate his suspicions beyond that feeling.</p><p>"Master, be careful." He silently acknowledged her telepathic message, and stepped forward to talk to him, but leaving a certain distance between them.</p><p>"I've come to register for the Fifth Holy Grail War as the Master of Caster."</p><p>"Hoh, the Master of Caster you say? Then, could you please enlighten me with your identity?" Kirei spoke in a pleasant voice, yet the look in his eyes never changed.</p><p>"I am Atrum Galiasta, magus of the Clock Tower." He was unwilling to divulge anymore, and waited for his response.</p><p>"Is that all? Well, I suppose you're polite enough to show up here and register as per the rules. Very well, from now on let be officially confirmed that Atrum Galiasta, the Master of Caster, has joined the Fifth Holy Grail War. Do you need to hear the rules and specifics?" The last question seemed to tease Atrum, with full knowledge that he had mostly likely reviewed the rules at least twenty times in the past few weeks. He was a magus after all.</p><p>"No, thank you. However, I would like to ask you whether the other Servants have been summoned yet." At this, Kirei raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"As the sole supervisor of the war, it is my duty to remain impartial. As such, I cannot freely give out information to anyone, not even Masters."</p><p>Atrum quickly changed tack, putting forth a poker face worthy of the poker tables at Las Vegas.</p><p>"Then has the other candidate from the Clock Tower registered yet? I personally know that person, and would like to contact them to discuss the war."</p><p>That was a lie, he had no idea who the other candidate even was, but Kirei had no way of knowing that.</p><p>Except Kirei did know the other candidate, and was quite sure someone like the pretty boy magus in front of him wouldn't be someone she knew very well. He may be twisted, but he was no fool. At best, he could only be a passing acquaintance of the Enforcer. However, he saw an opportunity to toy with him.</p><p>"You know that person? He will be pleased to hear from you then."</p><p>"Yes, he's a dear old friend of mine, so I was hoping we'd be able to at least avoid fighting each other for the early parts of the war." Kirei closed his eyes, as if trying to recall something.</p><p>"Ah, wait I seem to remember the other Clock Tower candidate to be a female. My apologies, my memory has been shaky as of late. The imminent war has been hanging over my head and occupying my thoughts." His memory was still as sharp as ever.</p><p>"Could you also have been so anxious about the war that you forgot your "dear old friends" gender? Heh, it seems we both have heavy burdens to bear."</p><p>Atrum felt the urge to punch him in the face, but he resisted and kept his face impassive, although Kirei noticed the slight trembling in his right arm.</p><p>"Ahaha, yes it seems that my nerves and memory have been quite affected by the upcoming war. But still, could you please help me contact her?" He didn't break down, since it would accomplish nothing, but maintained his facade even though it had already been seen through. There was still a chance he could help him.</p><p>"Hmmm, as fellow mages sent from the Clock Tower, I suppose you two possess the shared goal of preventing the Holy Grail from falling into the hands of others and winning it for the Magus Association. She also has yet to register for the war. Very well, when she arrives at this humble church, I will pass along the message that you wish to meet with her." Atrum sighed in relief internally, but externally he simply nodded. With the supervisor's help secured, he took out a roll of vellum and handed it over to the priest. Kirei quickly scanned the contents of the document and made an amused smirk.</p><p>"Hoh, what's this? A geis to bind two Masters in an alliance? This is an interesting document you have here. And you're entrusting it to me?" Kirei smiled, but his words were laden with deceit.</p><p>However, Atrum had already taken care to make sure that the document couldn't be tampered with in any way, calling in the last of his favours and moving large amounts of capital to ensure the most professional magus in the Faculty of Policies who specialized in writing such documents to craft and seal it for maximum security. Reading the contents would be easy for magi, but changing it or even destroying it would be difficult.</p><p>Regardless, despite how sketchy the priest might seem, he doubted he would do something so obvious as hiding the document away. He could always come back tomorrow or the day after to check with him on the delivery of the document, or just meet with the other Master after she arrived in Fuyuki. If he did actually conceal the scroll, he would just search the entire church and every nook and cranny until he found it.</p><p>"Thank you for your assistance Father Kotomine. My business here is complete, and I bid you farewell."</p><p>Saying so, he turned around to leave the chapel.</p><p>"Wait. As a show of good faith for being willing to entrust such an important document to me, I will tell you about the Servant that the other Clock Tower magus plans to summon."</p><p>Surprised, Atrum stopped in his tracks and listened to his words.</p><p>"She plans to summon Cu Chulainn of the Lancer class." Atrum nodded and then proceeded to leave the church, ignoring the priests parting words.</p><p>"May the Lord bless your trials in this war, and if you ever find yourself lost in defeat, remember that the church will always be a sanctuary for the vanquished."</p><p>He strolled out of the musty church back onto the paved road, the sun already set as stars started to twinkle in the dark sky. Taking a breath of the crisp night air, he let a puff of white vapour out of his mouth as he exhaled. The chilly night air did nothing to dampen his enthusiasm as he smiled.</p><p>"It's finally begun."</p><p>Even though he hadn't summoned the Servant he wanted, even though he dismantled his own workshop and set back his research by decades, even if his Servant was weak, he still had this optimistic voice whispering in his mind that he could do it. No, he would win. It was simply a matter of time.</p><p>"Let's go Caster. I still have one more place to check before we go back to the workshop."</p><p>"Ok Master! By the way, that priest was kind of creepy, wasn't he?"</p><p>"For once, we can agree on something."</p><p>"Wait, you never agreed with me before?"</p><p>With the mental banter going on in his head, he got into the car, and the chauffeur drove them to their next destination, Mount Enzou.</p><p>Inside the chapel, Kirei's lips slowly widened as they stretched from side to side, his sides shaking before he broke out in full-on laughter.</p><p>"Fufu, fuHAHAHAHAHAHA, HAHAH, HAH!"</p><p>He couldn't wait to see the look of shock and surprise on Atrum's face when he informed him that Lancer's master was dead, and he was even more keen to kill Bazett now. Originally, he was only planning to kill her to use her Servant as his puppet, but now he could also let down Atrum at the same time. Truly, the Lord worked in mysterious ways!</p><p>"Aaah, the Lord rewards the devout and religious. I am thankful to be alive in this day and age." Gradually, he regained his calm demeanour, though a smile still hung on his face. Just as his laughing fit ended, the king appeared sitting on the first row of pews. Shiny golden hair reflected the light from above as crimson red eyes glared at the priest in annoyance, the handsome features of his face not distorting in the slightest from his emotions. A white dress shirt and black dress pants covered by a simple black jacket with white lines of the finest material spoke of taste and entitlement, the black leather shoes gleaming like they were just polished. His entire being was the epitome of humanity, surpassing it even, as if a god had descended into the human realm, and that wasn't too far off. Words failed to describe the aura around him, such was its effect that all passerbys, whether they be male or female, would all find their attention drawn to him irresistibly. The King of Heroes without peer, Gilgamesh.</p><p>"Mongrel, what were you laughing about? I just came back and my ears were immediately assaulted by your hideous laughter. You had better have a good excuse for yourself." The golden king seemed unamused, but Kirei had accompanied him long enough to understand that he simply wanted to hear a good story.</p><p>"The Master of Caster registered at the church just now, and proposed an alliance to the Master of Lancer. However, I plan to kill her and take Lancer for myself, so I was simply enjoying myself at the prospect of killing two birds with one stone by bringing grief upon both of them, your majesty." He calmly narrated the situation to the golden king, and he grinned slightly.</p><p>"Hoh, so another mongrel has arrived for this sham of a war. Finally, some entertainment shall arrive in this forsaken land. Exciting Splash was fun for a while, but swimming all day there got boring fast, and they restricted the diving board height! Those mongrels, they only made it as tall as 50 meters for "safety concerns"! Who do they think they are, to stand against the King of Uruk?" Kirei knew he had recently bought a large indoor swimming pool in Fuyuki, but he didn't know he had been that invested in it.</p><p>"Well, since I currently have nothing to do, I shall personally inspect the Master to see if he qualifies for the War." He stood up and made to leave the church, arrogance and confidence overflowing from his entire body to the extent that an introvert would most likely die in his presence.</p><p>"Ah, hold on. Here is a scroll that he entrusted to me. I'm sure it will aid you in your search for him, your majesty." Kirei took out the scroll from within his cassock and placed it in his hands. Gilgamesh examined the scroll, then smiled.</p><p>"Despite how boring you've become, you still have your uses." Without a word of thanks, he left the doors, leaving Kirei behind to contemplate the most efficient way to kill Bazett.</p><p>Outside the doors, he activated the Noble Phantasm that he normally kept restrained, Sha Naqba Imuru. The ability to see all truth, the mentality of Gilgamesh sublimated into a single Noble Phantasm, the knowledge spread across all corners of the world as if the brilliance of the stars, seeing through all creation. Simply by looking at the document, he could already tell where the current Master of Caster was at.</p><p>"Mount Enzou? Perhaps the Master may yet be worth watching." He knew that several of the local ley lines converged there, and it would make sense for a Caster to set up base at that location. In addition, depending on the skill of the Caster, it was also possible to tweak with the Greater Grail placed inside the cavern hidden in the depths of Mount Enzou, allowing them to gain an enormous advantage, such as breaking the rules to summon another Servant.</p><p>"Let us be off." A golden portal opened up next to him with a weathered stone handle jutting out of it. Grasping the handle, he pulled out a flaming sword that was an inferior copy of the Divine Construct Sul-sagana, completely vaporizing the scroll, then let is dissipate into gold dust back into the gate as pulled out what looked like an airbike from another golden portal, jumping on and quickly speeding his way through the quiet streets of Miyama Town to Mount Enzou. Despite not being a Rider, he still had some sweet skills on the bike.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 28</p><p>Atrum looked up at the peak of Mount Enzou from the bottom of the stairs, the only path leading up to the temple at the top. Based on the reports he had received, there was a strong Bounded Field around the mountain that prevented unnatural spirits from entering the area. He only had to extend his sense slightly to feel it, and he could faintly hear a buzzing around the area, signifying the presence of a Bounded field.</p><p>However, the path that acted as the the focal point for the ley lines was the one and only spot where Servants could enter, and so if he and Caster used this place as their base, they could take advantage of the natural barrier and place a guard at the front gate to stall any Servants from entering. They could still try to enter from elsewhere, but their powers would be significantly reduced by the Bounded Field, making them easy prey for Caster to take out, unless they were immensely strong to the point of the penalty not mattering at all to them. If he could also secure an alliance with Lancer, they could simply have Lancer guard the front gate of the temple while Caster tapped into the convergence of ley lines to continuously deploy her Noble Phantasm, permanently strengthening Lancer as long as he was in the vicinity. She could further support him with her spells and act in an offensive capacity as well, from what he'd seen, so this would serve as the perfect base for them.</p><p>"Hmph, sometimes, my genius, it's almost frightening." He shook his head in self-admiration for having found such a prime location.</p><p>"You're really confident in yourself aren't you, Master." Caster teased him from the sides, watching him get worked up about his own intellect.</p><p>"At the very least, I'm confident I surpass your mental capabilities." He deadpanned.</p><p>"O-oy! I'll have you know I can also read and write like anybody else!"</p><p>"That's the basic level of education for most people nowadays…"</p><p>"Huuhh?!"</p><p>As they were talking, a loud voice called out to them from behind.</p><p>"You there mongrel. Show me your Servant."</p><p>He stiffened at the word "Servant", and slowly turned around to face the person who had said it.</p><p>The moment he laid eyes on Gilgamesh, his knees weakened as all his instincts screamed at him to run as fast as he could, as far away from him as possible, even to the far corners of the Earth and beyond. Unconsciously, his body started to tremble as his palms turned sweaty, the chill night air biting him far more acutely as sweat ran down his back as well.</p><p>"W-who are you?" He managed to regain his presence of mind after Caster mentally patted his back, reminding him of her presence. He couldn't show any weakness, especially not before he had even fought a single battle.</p><p>"Mongrel, normally I'd kill you immediately for asking that, but this time I'll make an exception. I wouldn't be able to judge your worthiness as your Master if I just killed you. Now show me your Servant, and face me in combat, lest I get bored of you." His stance was relaxed, but Atrum could sense that his words were all true, and he was ready to engage them at any moment. Despite being empty handed and seemingly alone, he could sense an unsettling air of confidence from his entire body, assured that he could easily win against him. Moments passed as he froze up, unsure of what to do.</p><p>"Master, should we fight?" Caster's worried voice cut through his panic, reminding him of his duty as her Master. No, he couldn't freeze up in front of her. He was her Master, and they were going to win the war! He wouldn't be afraid of some random stranger coming out of nowhere and challenging him to a fight.</p><p>"Since you seem to know about Servants, I take it that you're involved in the Moonlit World. Very well, though I know not who you are or where you're from, what is clear is that you're an enemy who bears hostility against me, and I shall answer in kind. Caster, let's defeat him right here and now!" The month of living with Caster had rubbed off on him, making him psych himself up by saying battle lines as well.</p><p>Instantly, she materialized from thin air in front of him, staff at the ready as a blue glow outlined her body, reinforcement kicking in to enhance her strength and speed.</p><p>"Engaging in combat, Master! I won't lose!"</p><p>She settled into a stance, prepared to intercept the first blow.</p><p>But instead of starting the fight, the blond haired man stared at Caster incredulously, recognition dawning in his eyes as he pupils traced every contour of her face, the lights going off in his head. The shock quickly faded to be replaced by anger as he turned his attention to the Master standing behind her. His face contorted into a furious god's as his absolute fury was brought to bear against the human, his dignified stature further enhancing his image as a deity wrought of hatred. Then it vanished in an instant, replaced by a blank look.</p><p>"Mongrel, how did you summon this Servant?"</p><p>A deceptively calm voice asked him, but Atrum immediately felt compelled to answer him truthfully as soon as possible, lest he suffer his wrath.</p><p>"I tried to summon another Servant with a catalyst, but I somehow got her."</p><p>There was a deafening silence after that as the blonde man scrutinized Atrum's face. His mouth suddenly turned dry as what felt like an enormous weight pressed against him, his body no longer shaking but frozen in fear. The king paused in thought, his narrowed eyes still boring lasers through Atrum's head, before he finally spoke.</p><p>"Mongrel, since you did not deliberately summon her, I will not kill you immediately. In addition, she is not the Saber I know. However, if later on I learn that you mistreat her in any way, you will pay the full price of harming one of my treasures."</p><p>With that, the oppressive air that seemed to be crushing Atrum lessened, though he still felt like something was pressing on him. No longer under pressure, he almost collapsed, but the sight of his Servant's steady back managed to revitalize him to some degree, retaining his mental fortitude.</p><p>"Now come, I grow weary of words. Prove your worth with your swords!"</p><p>With that, half a dozen golden portals opened up behind the man as blades peeked out of them, their shapes ranging from the most common longsword to some type of jagged rock sword with chains running down into the portal. They ejected out of the golden ripples without a sound, the air whistling as they traveled towards Caster.</p><p>Caster stood her ground and went into action, raising the staff high into the air as the curved top glowed with intense blue light, several golden spinning discs appeared, cutting through the air and leaving behind golden trails as they swiftly intercepted the projectiles. The rest of the projectiles were batted aside by her staff as soon as they reached her, the swords deflected to stab in the ground, sinking deeply into the tarmac.</p><p>"Ah, I was hoping he wouldn't know her identity, but it seems he's met her before. I don't understand though, if he's a Servant, does that mean he's been summoned before in a previous Grail War and met her? He said "Saber", so it doesn't look like he met the exact same version as Caster. Well, at least there are no obvious weaknesses in Arthur's legend, aside from perhaps Mordred. It's a bit strange that I don't sense anything like a Servant's mana signature off him though, it almost seems like he's a regular human, with a body of flesh. Yet, those golden portals are clearly something beyond any magus, and must be the work of an enemy Servant. Perhaps he's an Archer? Though all his projectiles are swords, so he could be a Saber. However, I've never heard of a Saber that throws swords before. If I could figure out his identity, I might be able to pinpoint a weakness of his that could help us win."</p><p>Despite being stuck on the back lines, Atrum acted like a Master should, constantly analysing the situation and looking for a way to lead his Servant to victory. He had pored over many historical documents containing the legends of hundreds and thousands of heroes, from the famed Hercules to the little known Eric Bloodaxe, and he was sure he could find something about him that hinted at his true identity.</p><p>The half of a dozen portals continued spitting out swords at Caster as she parried, blocked and deflected each one with various methods, ranging from simply batting them aside with her staff to firing explosions of mana with the mana capsules to knock them aside midway. Her white dress fluttered as she moved gracefully, her body unwavering even when the swords came within an inch of skewering her.</p><p>With a single glance, Gilgamesh could tell that she had higher than average physical parameters when compared to normal Casters, almost the same as the average Archer, and her magecraft was crude and unrefined. He could almost read what she was doing the instant she started moving, as her magecraft was less a system and more a trigger that activated as soon as she willed it with a catalyst in her hand. Her staff was particularly important to her in this manner, most likely serving as the main catalyst, though he was sure she had other catalysts available. Most likely, she possessed a special skill that allowed her to use this unique brand of magecraft. However, he couldn't deny that her spells packed a punch, despite their relative inefficiency and lack of sophistication. In addition, he could tell that there were several powerful enhancements and blessings supporting her, probably some combination of fae protection and fate manipulation. Some of the swords seem to bend out of her way automatically, her staff swinging after the fact to make it look like they had been batted aside, when they had actually been fated to miss in the first place. He concluded that while she was decent at direct combat herself, she would probably serve best in a supporting role, unless her Noble Phantasm helped increase her offensive power.</p><p>All of this was deduced in a single glance, the information and analysis flowing through his head so much faster than Atrum that it was like comparing a Turing computer to an A.I. developed a millennium later. In addition, all of his deductions were spot on.</p><p>After learning nothing new about her for a few seconds, he decided to increase the rate of Noble Phantasms fired at her. The swords, which previously flew at her with the speed of a car, started speeding up until they were as fast as a bullet, the new velocity lending them much more force. Furthermore, all six portals started spewing out swords at the same time, increasing the volume of swords she had to deal with, and the staggered pattern that they came in made it even more difficult.</p><p>In that instant, she suddenly put on a burst of speed, having intentionally made it look like she was struggling with the swords earlier, and surged forward towards the man. Atrum had already left for a safer spot further back, so the swords that flew past her only hit the road and trees surrounding the edge of Mount Enzou.</p><p>Her physical capabilities increased due to her magecraft and fae protection, the staff lending her strength as she ducked and dodged each and every projectile, letting her rapidly reach the man in seconds. The man made no attempt to retreat, instead grabbing a sword from a portal that appeared at his side and holding the ornate blade in a one handed stance, his body sideways akin to a fencer's pose.</p><p>*CLANG*</p><p>Sparks flew as the staff and the sword clashed, each side struggling to dominate the other. With the self-enhancements applied to her, a disparity was created in their originally equal ranks of strength, allowing her to slowly push down his sword as the ominously glowing blue crystal at the top of the staff started lowering towards his face.</p><p>Almost bored, he jumped back, escaping the deadlock as several portals bombarded her from close range. Without hesitating, she thrust her staff into the ground.</p><p>"O Staff of Selection, Shine!"</p><p>She barely made it in time, the blue pillar of light swelling up from the ground to shatter all the swords inside it, the staff lightly glowing. The surroundings lit up with the sapphire light, the leaves turning blue under their influence. As soon as the light faded, Caster charged forward again, her staff lighting up as she sent spinning golden discs flying towards the blonde.</p><p>Atrum noticed that there was something twinkling on the ground with the golden light, but he was too far away to see exactly what it was.</p><p>This time, instead of standing still to take her attack, he advanced, golden portals shooting swords in response to her discs as he himself ran forward with swords in both hands, switching to a dual wield style.</p><p>*SZRK*</p><p>*CLING, CLANG*</p><p>The sound of energy discs and swords colliding echoed on the road as Caster approached him. But just as she was about to reach him, she suddenly turned the staff sideways, a jet of mana bursting from the tip of her staff to send her sliding to the left, then small explosion of mana from the mana capsule triggered under her feet send her catapulting forwards behind the man. In a moment, she soon reached his back, as he ended up standing where she had originally stood.</p><p>"Hoh, it seems like you have some sort of plan." He didn't miss the glint in her eye as soon as she stopped, her legs taut as they served as brakes to stop her momentum. As soon as she stopped, the staff was thrust at an angle into the tarmac, blue light filling the air as the crystal at the top of the staff glowed, before the energy flowed down the length of the staff and was conducted into the ground. Nothing happened for a second.</p><p>*ZZSSHH*</p><p>*KABOOM*</p><p>A loud buzzing noise could be heard for an instant, and then the ground lit up with multiple explosions that rocked the ground under Atrum's feet, the blue novas completely obliterating the area the man was standing in, and then some more.</p><p>Earlier on, Caster had planted the mana capsules in the ground with the tip of her staff, shooting them out one end without triggering them. She had then baited him into stepping into the minefield, then activated it.</p><p>"Not bad, but it could use some refinement. For example, what would you do if I just flew into the air?"</p><p>She looked up in surprise to see him simply floating in the air, staring down at her with an arrogant smirk once more on his face. Shaking his head, he manifested more portals around him.</p><p>"I overestimated your ability, and you've proven to be quite boring. Even though you have some interesting abilities, it seems to be a waste of mana to keep you around. Unless, your Noble Phantasm proves otherwise."</p><p>This time, hundreds of golden ripples appeared, turning the sky into a sea of gold that possessed hundreds of weapons, each and every one of them a unique Noble Phantasm.</p><p>"H-how, how can this be?" Seeing such a terrible and yet wondrous yet, Atrum couldn't help but whisper.</p><p>Just as he was about to fire off the flood of swords, he stopped. Something was wrong here.</p><p>*ZZSSHHAAA*</p><p>A dragon's roar emanated from the ground as a huge tower of light engulfed him, shooting all the way up into the clouds and cutting a hole in them. For a split second, Atrum worried about it's visibility, but it quickly faded away, leaving the skies clear once more. Once it cleared, the man was nowhere in sight. Slowly, Caster hobbled over to Atrum.</p><p>"Ehehe, looks like I did well this time. It's all thanks to Master for supporting me from the back." She was visibly tired, slowly shambling over to him while leaning on her staff heavily. In spite of this, a cheerful smile still remained on her face, quietly lifting up his spirits after the stressful events that had just happened.</p><p>"FUHAHAHAHA! It's been some time since my eyebrows got singed, but the fight has been most entertaining!"</p><p>Caster turned around in dread, seeing the blonde man mostly unharmed, as several golden chains wrapped around his waist slowly uncoiled and slid back into the golden portals.</p><p>"To think that you would be able to cast illusion magecraft, and well enough to affect my perception to such a degree, how unexpected. The blast was also of an astonishing level, the power output almost on the level of a Noble Phantasm. That's quite the large hole in the ground there."</p><p>Indeed, there was a large sinkhole in the ground where the blue tower of mana rose from.</p><p>"But at this point you must have used up all your mana capsules and mana reserves from casting that illusion and firing off that blast, so I doubt you're in any condition to fight anymore. Since I escaped unscathed with the help of my friend, you've been defeated."</p><p>Indeed, she had tricked him into thinking she was staring at him in shock while he prepared the bombardment in the sky, while in reality she had been maintaining the illusion and channeling the mana required for the blast. Her earlier straightforward tactics had served as a method to implant the notion that she wasn't capable of complex battle plans into his mind, and served to enhance the effectiveness of the solution. She had also held back from using any other type of magecraft besides direct mana shots, to hide the fact that she could use illusion magecraft as well. She had then used the remainder of the mana capsules that she had not triggered in the ground to serve as a magic circle that focused the energy into a streak of energy that shot into the sky like a roaring dragon, and struck him down while he remained trapped in the illusion that started the moment the blasts of mana hid her from his view.</p><p>But he had managed to overcome all that, and now she was fatigued and low on mana, while he still possessed an unknown amount of Noble Phantasms that could easily tear through her given the chance. Still, she wearily took up her staff in both hands and stood in front of her Master, unwilling to give up just like that. Even with her body trembling from exhaustion, the leather pouch at her side empty of mana capsules, she would still stand and fight for her Master, as the star of hope.</p><p>"Hmph, even though you may be different, just like her you shine with a radiance unlike any other. I can see it in your eyes as well, though you may be young, you are yet to be broken like her."</p><p>She didn't know what he was talking about, but she could tell he was praising her.</p><p>"Thanks for the praise, but save it for after my victory." She grinned fearlessly, even as her arms shook minutely while holding the staff.</p><p>"Fuhahaha! To think that you would have such steel even in your youth, truly something to rejoice! Very well, I suppose you have proven your worth. I will watch over your progress through the war eagerly. Take care to not let me down, dear Caster."</p><p>Smiling in amusement, he dismissed the portals hanging in the air, turning around to leave.</p><p>In a flash, inspiration struck him. He suddenly knew who their enemy was.</p><p>"You're Gilgamesh, aren't you?" He was convinced he was mostly correct. After seeing the chains and him referring to them as "my friend", the dots suddenly connected as he remembered the oldest epic in the world that he had read in the process of doing his research, the being Enkidu known as the" Chains of Heaven", and his status as the sole friend of the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh.</p><p>Gilgamesh stopped and turned his head slightly, looking to the side.</p><p>"It seems that not all mongrels are worthless. Although you should have realized it from the moment you met me, being able to deduce it so quickly is certainly not bad for a mongrel of your level."</p><p>Turning back, he disappeared into the night.</p><p>With him gone, Atrum found his courage returning, the fear that he had forcefully suppressed bursting out like a dam as relief flooded through his body, his emotional state at its peak.</p><p>"Phew, that was a tough fight. We didn't win, but still I count it as a victory in my books for repelling that goldie!"</p><p>She smiled brightly at him, fueled by a seemingly inexhaustible well of optimism.</p><p>"Yeah, I suppose it's our first win. Let's go, Caster." Privately, he was very worried that Gilgamesh would return any time to attack them, and he also had to think up plans to counter him, as well as the mystery of his body. But for now, they could return to the workshop to rest.</p><p>*SHWIP*</p><p>*Splorch!*</p><p>A sword protruded out of his ribs, having run through his back to pierce his heart and come out his chest. Just as soon as he saw it, it was pulled out, releasing a gush of blood that spurted through the air in a straight line, a line of blood left on the tarmac.</p><p>After that, everything seemed to move in slow motion for Atrum, as if he were in a dream.</p><p>"Master? What was that?"</p><p>Caster turned around, pale face aghast to see her Master impaled with a glowing sword protruding out of his chest as he reached out to her, before tumbling to the ground, a rapidly spreading pool of blood forming on the ground. Behind him, she saw a blue scarf with golden lining along the edges flit in the air, before it disappeared around the corner and vanished into the shadows.</p><p>"ATRUM!"</p><p>Screaming his name in panic, she knelt down next to him and cast as many basic healing spells as she knew, ignoring the blood staining her white dress as it soaked it up like a sponge. When that didn't work, she switched to the Protection of Vivian that imparted the blessings of the fae to others. Golden light sank into his body, the blood flow lessening for a moment, before it gushed out with renewed force.</p><p>Strangely he felt no pain. What was she panicking for? It wasn't really that bad, but he was starting to feel a bit tired. Maybe he should close his eyes for a bit, just a little bit of rest before he got back up to face the king…</p><p>"No, *hic*, Master, you promised me, *hic*, that we'd win together!"</p><p>That's right, she'd said they'd do their best together right? Was this his best? Dying after a single battle from a surprise attack?</p><p>Ah, he could see her now. The girl who had promised him they would live together, away from the magecraft chaining down their families. Her white dress fluttered with the wind as her black hair cascaded past her shoulders to her waist, hands reaching out to embrace him.</p><p>"Isabel...I'm, I'm here."</p><p>Seeing the light slowly fade out of his eyes, Caster, with no other method available to her, gripped his shoulders tightly, took a deep breath, and yelled into his face with all her strength.</p><p>"WAKE UP MASTER!"</p><p>Like a jolt of electricity into his heart, the glazed eyes cleared up again as he suddenly felt the pain through his entire body, causing him to bite his lips in agony as the pain shot through his nerves, blood spilling down from his lips and nose. However, his mind was clear, and he knew what to do.</p><p>He had still had one last thing to do as her Master, before he passed away.</p><p>Weakly raising up his right hand, the Command Seals with a shape reminiscent of her staff started glowing, the red marks highlighted against his dark brown skin.</p><p>"Caster, I order you to retreat from this location to a safe zone." His weak voice could barely be heard, yet the effect was instantaneous. She disappeared with a crack as the space warped before returning to normal, an approximation of True Magic occurring with the power of the Command Seal.</p><p>As his consciousness slipped away with each breath, he gave the next order, clinging to the last line of thought still occupying his rapidly fading memory.</p><p>"Caster, I order you to exist until you find a new Master." At this point, he was barely audible, his bloodstained mouth moving weakly as his vocal chords struggled to produce the sounds necessary for the command. He lay on his side as the swords prevented any other posture, his right hand slowly dropping down from being raised to gently sinking onto the cool tarmac, now coated with fresh blood. Dimly, he could sense the moon watching him silently, keeping vigil over his last moments. With his final breath, he used up the last of his Command Seals, forfeiting his right as a Master, and imparting his last will upon his Servant.</p><p>"Caster, I order you to fulfill your fate."</p><p>That brightly shining star, it would find its rightful place in the sky to illuminate the path and gather the true companions.</p><p>There was nothing more to say. His lips stilled as his eyes closed shut, his skin rapidly turning pale from the blood loss. He could see Isabella take his hand and lead him to the cottage that they'd live in after escaping from their magus families, and his lips weakly twitch into a gentle smile. Then he was no more.</p><p>*clack, clack, clack*</p><p>Leather shoes rang on the pavement, getting closer and closer to the corpse, until it stopped right at the edge of the rapidly cooling pool of blood.</p><p>"Mongrel, how pathetic. To die after your first battle like this, slain by a cowardly assassin."</p><p>He cast his gaze among the surroundings.</p><p>"And not a very skilled one at that."</p><p>Gilgamesh looked back at his corpse, not with disdain, but with grudging respect.</p><p>"But even though you died like this, in the end you had the resolve to fulfill your duty as a Master, and found the strength of will to overcome your imminent death for a few seconds. Mongrel, for that, I will personally deal with your remains. Be honored that the King of Heroes was here to witness your end."</p><p>The air next to him rippled, and from the portal, he pulled out the very same sword that he had used to incinerate the geis scroll. With a simple swing of the sword, the heat completely vaporized the body, turning it into fine ash that scattered with the winter winds. In a few moments, all that was left was a piece of melted tar on the ground, and the grey flakes that drifted with the wind to lands unknown.</p>
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<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Chapter 29</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 29</p><p>She materialized near the front gate in the middle of the Ryuudou Temple courtyard, her dress dripping blood as she clutched her staff in shock for a moment. That feeling quickly passed as she realized what had happened, her entire body trembling as powerful sobs forced their way through her throat, the tears rolling around in her eyes, but failing to fall.</p><p>"Idiot, idiot! How could I have been so careless, to let my Master die like that? I should've cast some protection on him, yet, yet *hic*, kuh!"</p><p>She couldn't say more, her chest squeezing tightly as she knelt on the stone tiles.</p><p>"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"</p><p>She screamed her frustration and anguish into the skies, uncaring of who heard her. The scream quickly dissipated in the open courtyard, vanishing like it had never existed in the first place. But someone had heard it.</p><p>*Shrk*</p><p>One of the wooden sliding doors of the temple opened, and a man stepped out of it into the courtyard.</p><p>He was met with the surreal sight of a girl with an ornate staff and strange clothing, with the bottom half of the white dress drenched in blood that dripped onto the stone at regular intervals. She was audibly sobbing and sniffling after making that cry earlier, strands blonde hair stuck to the dress with the dried remains of her Master's blood.</p><p>After staring at her for a moment, he slowly approached her from behind. Distraught as she was, she didn't notice him at all. He circled around her and reached her front, then knelt on the ground in front of her. Finally noticing his presence, she looked up with puffy eyes, wondering who had come.</p><p>He was relatively tall, though not as tall as the priest from the church. A stoic expressionless face, with a pair of rimless glasses and clad in a dark green suit, pressed and neat. His face was quite thin, and his entire body was lean, the suit hanging slightly loose on his frame.</p><p>"Are you ok?" His voice was monotonous, not the extent of a robot, but close. It was deep as well, but the words were spoken clearly enough for her to hear them.</p><p>Then she remembered. The Command Seals, her Master's death, and his final wish.</p><p>This was not the time for tears, but for action.</p><p>"W-will you be my Master?"</p><p>The young girl asked valiantly, uncaring of who the man was or what he was like, simply trusting her instincts and knowing time was short. Even with the power of the Command Seal and the barrier around Mount Enzou that helped keep her from dissipating, she still had to act fast.</p><p>The man tilted his head at her absurd demand. She looked at him expectantly, pleading with her eyes as she stared deep into the deep pit of his lifeless dark eyes. And then he felt something move within him.</p><p>"Alright. I will become your Master." The moment he felt it, there was no hesitation. For the first time in his empty existence, he had felt something. Even if it was just a false flag, a wavering illusion, he would still pursue it down to its conclusion.</p><p>"Eh?" She was surprised he agreed so readily. Had he given it any serious thought? Well, she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.</p><p>"Kay, give me your hand, Mister, uuuhhh…"</p><p>"Souichirou. Souichirou Kuzuki."</p><p>"I see, Mr. Souichirou it is! Alright, here we go."</p><p>The uncontracted Servant took his large, bony hand into her own white and soft hands, the gloves stripped from them to let her come into contact with his flesh.</p><p>"Could you help me by saying something? Just repeat after me." It was simply a measure of self-hypnosis to help her establish the link.</p><p>"I, Souichirou Kuzuki, have contracted with Artoria Pendragon, Servant of Caster, to become her Master."</p><p>Red marks appeared on his hands, the elaborate curved top of the staff containing the blue crystal as the first mark closest to his knuckles, the middle of the staff with a branch, horn and sash wrapped around the brass ring as the second mark around his wrist, and finally the long slender body of the staff with the two feathers at the bottom as the third.</p><p>"Hah, thankfully that went well. So, do you have anything you want to ask?" While she was glad he had agreed to be her Master, she was sure he had questions. After all, you didn't just see blonde girls holding a weird staff in a white dress drenched with blood every day. She was amazed he hadn't just called the police on her right away, and was even more amazed that he had simply agreed to help her. Still, something told her that he was not normal either. Those eyes, and the stoic air surrounding him like armor, they honestly made him quite scary to Artoria, even though she was a Servant.</p><p>"No. Now follow me to the baths, and let's get you cleaned up."</p><p>He abruptly stood up and walked off in the direction of the temple.</p><p>"Huh?" She just kept kneeling, dumbfounded at his reaction. Round eyes stared at his back as her mouth flapped open like a fish.</p><p>"It's imperative we wipe away the pool of blood as well, and it will be easier to explain your presence if you're not wearing a bloody dress."</p><p>He explained it as if he was simply commenting about the weather.</p><p>"O-oh, I get it. Um, you don't have to worry about the dress, I'll deal with the dress myself. I'll clean up the pool of blood too, I just need a mop and a bucket."</p><p>She dematerialized, and then reappeared in front of Kuzuki, the dress now pristine and unblemished. He didn't even blink an eye at it, simply nodding slightly.</p><p>"Alright, then take the room on the right of the corridor, and you can rest there. I'll mop up the blood." Saying so, he strode off with long strides to get the necessary tools.</p><p>"Ah, wait up! I'll take care of it myself, I'm used to it, don't worry. I mopped the floors a lot back when I was young, you could even say it's one of my special skills!" She quickly rushed to catch up to him, confused by his lack of confusion. Suddenly, several more footsteps could be heard from inside the temple. Artoria turned into spirit form immediately.</p><p>"Souichirou-san, did something happen? We heard a loud cry just now and came to investigate."</p><p>It had actually only been a few minutes since she had screamed, and the monks had finally reached the courtyard from their quarters after grabbing some staves.</p><p>"No, everything's fine."</p><p>"Then, what about that pool of blood on the stone tiles there?"</p><p>"Ah, I just happened to accidentally step on a crow just now. You might have heard its scream earlier. I was about to go to get the mop to clean up the mess."</p><p>The monks stared at the blood dubiously before looking back at him. However, his expression remained impassive, so they decided to take him at his word. He had lived here for some time after all, and if he was hiding something, it was probably for a good reason.</p><p>"If you say so." They headed back to their quarters to continue meditating, as Artoria watched the proceedings invisibly.</p><p>"What kind of Master did I just contract with?"</p><p>Still, she remembered the commands etched into her Saint Graph with the last of Atrum's strength, and she clenched a fist in determination, fire filling her heart.</p><p>"No matter what kind of person he is, I'll do my best and fulfill my former Masters wish!"</p><p>Then, she silently cried in the courtyard as the moon hung over her in the clear night sky.</p>
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<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Chapter 30</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 30</p><p>Kuzuki cleaned up the blood with efficiency and stowed away the cleaning implements back into the shed, before heading to the room that Artoria was in. Once in there, he knelt on tatami mats and waited for her to appear.</p><p>With a shimmer of light, she appeared in front of him, sitting cross-legged. The staff was placed besides her on the right.</p><p>"Is it safe to talk here?"</p><p>"Don't worry, the monks rarely come out from their meditation unless there's a major disturbance on the temple grounds."</p><p>She nodded after he gave the explanation. Clearing her throat, she looked up at him with her emerald eyes.</p><p>"Ahem, so let me introduce myself properly. My name is Artoria Pendragon, and I'm not a human." She waited for him to ask questions. When he remained silent, she pressed on.</p><p>"I'm part of a magic ritual taking part in this city, called the "Holy Grail War", that involves seven spellcasters fighting over a powerful wishing machine, using summoned beings called "Servants" as their main weapons, while they act as "Masters" for the "Servants". As you may be able to guess, I'm a Servant, a limited copy of someone famous from history, etched into legend by humanity. I possess higher than average physical abilities, and also some other magical powers and skills. The ritual ends when all six Servants are defeated, leaving the final Master-Servant pair as the victor. That's the basic gist of it." She paused, letting the information sink in.</p><p>"So, do you have anything you want to ask me?"</p><p>"So you're aiming to win the Holy Grail War?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"And with me as your Master?"</p><p>"Mhm."</p><p>"Then I shall endeavour to provide as much assistance as possible to you."</p><p>"I'm glad to hear that! But, aren't you curious about anything else?"</p><p>"Hmm, I suppose since we have to face combat with mages, I'll need to know about their capabilities."</p><p>"Yeah, that's true. I'll fill you in on what they can do later.. Anything else?" She nodded, then stared back at him for anything else.</p><p>"No, that is all."</p><p>"Alright, I see then we're done here-not! You're not even curious about the existence of magecraft and familiars? You won't even ask what a battle royale-style magic ritual is doing in Fuyuki? And you just casually ask me how to fight mages? What is wrong with you, are you out of your mind? I'll be the one doing the fighting here you know!" Her words burst out in a stream as she listed out everything wrong with his reactions just now, doing a decent straight man routine.</p><p>"While I doubt I would be of use against these "Servants", perhaps I might be able to take their Masters by surprise. I was trained to be an assassin, and those skills may now prove useful." He said all this without blinking, an impassive face maintained throughout the conversation.</p><p>"Sure, sure, I guess I can buff you with magic-wait what?! You were trained as an assassin? Are assassins simply that common nowadays, or do you just have to play Ass*ss*n's Cr**d to become an assassin?" How did the random guy she met turn out to be a trained assassin. Well, he didn't look like he was bluffing at all though. The look in his eyes also supported his words.</p><p>"I doubt assassins are that common, though I knew many trainees when I was young. As for this Ass*ss*n's Cr**d, I have not heard of it before." He was deadly serious, and Artoria resisted the urge to smack her face in exasperation.</p><p>"Alright, then I'll go into detail about the specifics of the Holy Grail War. Prepare yourself for a lecture by Prof. Pendragon!"</p><p>Standing up, she went into detail about the history of the Holy Grail War and the Three Families, courtesy of knowledge given to her when she was summoned. The Clock Tower, the nature of Servants, and numerous examples of mages were given. She explained in detail how the various systems of magecraft worked, and provided him with some visual representations with her illusion magecraft as well. She also went into full detail regarding her abilities, and they figured out their strategy bit by bit. Near the end of the long conversation, the sun had already started to touch the horizon and dazzle the land with it's brilliant rays. The warmth touched the cold land and transformed the winter night into a pleasant daybreak.</p><p>"Muuuaaaaa, I'm kind of exhausted. I'm going to rest for a bit…" She yawned cutely and stretched her arms above her head, closing her eyes tight as her mouth opened wide.</p><p>"Ah, by the way I forgot to ask you, why did you decide to help me last night?"</p><p>She was curious, why would he help a suspicious complete stranger, with their clothes drenched with blood too.</p><p>He was about to rise, and head for work at Homurahara Academy when she asked him. Pausing in thought as he looked at the sunlight hitting the wooden doors, he gave his answer.</p><p>"Because I felt like it."</p><p>With that, he opened the doors and walked out into the crisp morning air, not a trace of fatigue on his face. Arturia tried to process his answer, but failed to.</p><p>"Mooouuu, what does that mean? I don't understand at all."</p><p>But then she looked back at where he'd left.</p><p>"But I guess we all have those moments where we feel like we absolutely have to do something, even with no logical reason to motivate us." She smiled self-deprecatingly.</p><p>"A young village girl trying to become king and save Britain is pretty hard to understand as well." Then she shot up when she remembered the body at the foot of the mountain.</p><p>"AH! I forgot to take care of it, crap!"</p><p>It would be seriously bad if a pack of dogs or crows started gnawing on his corpse. She could already imagine Atrum glaring at her from the afterlife as his body was eaten by animals.</p><p>"I'm sooorryyyyy!"</p>
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<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Chapter 31</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 31</p><p>It was a rare day in winter that the sun shone so brightly. The clouds were all gone, and it seemed like the city was just a little more busy than usual. The skyscrapers reflected the rays of light, turning into sparkling diamonds that reached into the sky.</p><p>Far away from the bustling city center, a black car drove through the winding streets of Miyama Town to the Fuyuki church, the occasional cat jumping into the alleys when the car passed them. Eventually, it reached the black gates of the church and parked right outside, the driver opening the door and getting out to get her first good look at the building.</p><p>"Hmmm, never thought he'd end up here, as a supervisor for a ritual of all things."</p><p>A woman in a business suit with a red-violet necktie stood there, magenta hair cut short until it barely reached her ears. There was a mole under her left eye, and two silver ovaloid earrings hung from her ears.</p><p>Pushing open the gates, she walked into the church like Atrum Galiasta had done last night.</p><p>"Oy, Kirei! You in here?"</p><p>Unlike Atrum, her greeting was much more informal.</p><p>"Hm, if isn't the Enforcer Bazett Fraga Mcremitz Fragarach."</p><p>"Hey, is that how you greet a friend? Come one, just call me Bazett, nobody calls my by my full name anyways."</p><p>Kirei smiled lightly.</p><p>"It was a joke."</p><p>A joke? Hah, I see something besides your height has grown. Speaking of which, how did you get so tall? Did you get a growth spurt when I wasn't looking?"</p><p>"In a manner of speaking, yes I did."</p><p>"Huh, I see. Well, let's get to it then. No point in waiting any longer."</p><p>"Hmph, how impatient. Very well, let us proceed to the chamber."</p><p>He led her down to the magic circle inscribed on the floor in the chamber below the church.</p><p>Bazett had known Kirei since the time when he actively worked as an Executor, and long story short, she had grown to trust him after going through hell and back with him, even confiding her story to him about her desire to save Cu Chulainn, possibly being the only person she had told. In fact, she had been actively invited by him to participate, and seemingly being relied on for once, she had been delighted to come, even killing the observer sent from the opposing faction when he told her to. It had been an easy fight, her suit shielding her as she put her fist through the magus's chest.</p><p>"Now all you have to do is simply place the catalysts in the circle and recite the incantation."</p><p>"Alright."</p><p>Raising her right hand towards the circle, she spoke the words.</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Repeat every five times.</p><p>Simply, shatter once filled.</p><p>Silver and iron to the origin. Stone and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone.</p><p>My ancestor is the great master I pay tribute to.</p><p>The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.</p><p>――――I announce.</p><p>Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword.</p><p>In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.</p><p>I hereby swear. I will be all that is good in the eternal world. I will be the disposer of evil in the eternal world.</p><p>You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance ―――！</p><p>A rush of wind, a flash of light, and then it all faded into silence to reveal the Servant summoned before her. Before she even had a chance to wonder why she had summoned a busty blonde, the twisting fist was already digging into her back, pulverizing her organs through the ki transmitted with the help of the martial arts Bajiquan. The suit that had easily shrugged off bullets, spells and claws alike was penetrated, the power rippling the fabric as it passed through it to damage the inside. Kotomine Kirei was a man who had trained in the martial arts from a young age, and became a practitioner of a type of Bajiquan that some would come to call Super Bajiquan. It was an ultimate technique born from the miraculous fusion of Bajiquan and magecraft, the Internal Art exceeding the External to an immense extent. Only Kirei could use it's reckless attacks, utilizing a self-destructive fighting style that even let him stand on equal ground with the Magus Killer after losing one arm.</p><p>A style that took the shortest route without any initial movement to damage the inside instead of the outside, that was the fundamentals. After years of training and practical application, he had become an expert capable of defeating a normal person with a single hit. If he was tied to a tree, he could easily break it, since his strength as a martial artist did not only come from his wrists. For most martial artists, their hands were their main weapons. But the level of Kirei's training had forged his entire body into a weapon. Being bound did not leave him helpless as long as he could plant both feet on the ground. Everything from the weight of his feet on the ground, the twisting of his back, and the turning of his shoulders contributed to releasing an instantaneous burst of power into his fists. In comparison, the strength of the arms were insignificant to the power of the whole body. It was possible to press a fist next to the target and strike only with the accumulated force coming from all parts of the body outside of the arm. With this "explosive force" technique, just having the back of his hands against the tree trunk allows him to utilize the full power of his body to strike.</p><p>Bazett's battle-hardened body, after fighting numerous humans, Dead Apostles, Sealing Designation mages and even Phantasmal Beasts, was also near equal to that of Kirei. In fact, with runic sorcery she employed to strengthen her limbs, hands and feet, she actually exceeded him in terms of pure power by a very small margin. Her specialty in physical combat forced her to develop an improvised form of combat that had mixed martial arts as its base, with multiple facets that allowed her to fluidly adapt to various situations as her occupation demanded. Finally, the Sorcery Trait that was passed down by her family. Traditional Carriers-God's Holders, ensured that all their skills could be passed down through bloodline instead of training. As such, she was known as one of the most successful Enforcers in an occupation that tended to have an early retirement age/high rate of occupational fatality. The possession of the Noble Phantasm Fragarach was simply the cherry on the top, allowing her to defeat even Servants if the conditions were right. If she had joined the Holy Grail War, she would have emerged as one of the top contenders, a difficult enemy to face for all the other Masters in direct combat.</p><p>But this was all not meant to be as she was stabbed in the back by the comrade she had fought side by side with against monstrous beings and unholy terrors, the fist merciless as it dug into her back and destroyed her heart, lungs and part of her intestines in one blow, the bones ground to dust from the sheer energy emitted like a grenade had went off in her body. By virtue of her willpower, she managed to stand upright for a moment, her body stock still as she weakly tried to turn her head to face the priest. Her head turned slightly, blood starting to trickle from her mouth and nose.</p><p>"why…" Her mouth opened slightly to leak out a single question, and then she collapsed face-forward, pitching onto the ground.</p><p>*whuf*</p><p>It looked like she had simply fainted, if not for the deeply imprinted fist mark in her back that had twisted the fabric of her suit, forming a vortex right in the middle near her heart on her spine, between the shoulderblades.</p><p>Acting quickly, he withdrew a Black Key from his robes, pulled up the sleeves of her suit and sliced through her left arm. A second later, after a red glow lit up the room, the marks faded from her hand, and they reappeared in a different pattern on Kirei's hand.</p><p>"Lancer, I order that you are not allowed to kill me."</p><p>A red mark flashed before vanishing, and the white lance that appeared to be bound with numerous strips of white linen stopped a centimeter away from his forehead, the tip wavering as it tried to resist the command.</p><p>In the darkness of the mouth-like slit on the lion shaped helmet, two pricks of green light burned furiously.</p><p>Lancer was standing in the middle of the circle on her mount, splendid white steed with strong muscles studding it's body, its white fur pristine and majestic. Shining steel armor adorned its entire body, but the depth of its eyes belied a gentle temperament under its noble image. Yet, it could not match up to the splendour of its rider, indeed merely serving to contrast with the knight.</p><p>Metal polished to a mirror finish curved around the knight's body, the armor clad body radiating strength and confidence. Even in the dim light of the chamber, the armor still reflected it with brilliance, almost seeming to glow with its own light. The helmet was the coup de grace, a lifelike lion mounted on the head that struck fear into the hearts of all its enemies, and raised the spirits of all those who fought beside it. A wild mane of blond hair burst out from the back, unable to be restrained, for she was the Lion King. Her choice of weapon was an enigmatic spear, wrapped in what looked like strips of white cloth, but on closer inspection was actually a rigid material made of something otherworldly. A blue sheen could be observed coating it, and the entire lance exceeded the height of the wielder, the point tapering off into a sharp tip that could pierce through any shield and armor, except those wielded with the most stalwart of wills.</p><p>She disregarded the order, resisting it as much she could, her Magic Resistance rank B assisting her in defying the command. The tip trembled, and then slowly made its way across the centimeter separating it from Kirei's forehead. Witnessing the resolve she had, he was forced to take a few steps back. Raising his hand once more, he added the weight of another seal.</p><p>"Lancer, once again I order that you are not allowed to kill me."</p><p>The tip that was painstakingly crawling across the distance finally slowed to halt, hovering in mid-air, then retracted at a painfully slow rate. Kirei smiled at her actions.</p><p>"Good. Although I had my doubts whether I could summon you with the catalyst I had, the gamble paid off."</p><p>In fact, he had intentionally planned to summon Artoria Pendragon in the Lancer class. In the beginning, it had merely been a whim of his when he was bored, fantasizing how much he could make her suffer if she had been summoned as his Servant. But after heavy drinking with the king, he had confided with him about this secret fantasy of his, and he had replied favourably.</p><p>"FUHAHA! To think that she might become your Servant. While normally I would not tolerate anyone becoming her Master, perhaps you would be able to provide some entertainment and make her fall!"</p><p>After saying that, he had simply given him an extremely close replica of Caliburn to him from his vault, derived from the Original Sin, Merodach.</p><p>The next day after he woke up from the alcohol, he had stored away the sword and started planning on how to meddle in the next Holy Grail War. After all, he had to find happiness in some way.</p><p>The man known as Kotomine Kirei was born wrong, removed from the common sense of the world. Without feeling happiness even once during his childhood, he was forced to confront the fact that he was not like the rest of humanity at an early age. Despite excelling in whatever field he applied himself to, he could not feel satisfaction or joy at any of his achievements. His mind grew sharper and sharper, while his body grew stronger and stronger, yet none of it mattered to him. He was hollow, tormented by his lack of fulfillment with anything. Although, he still managed to grasp enough of the human psyche to interact with others reasonably normally, in an effort to normalize himself.</p><p>For years he searched, looking for a cure, for a reason, anything to explain why he was like that and how he could be saved. For this reason, he had scaled mountains, crossed deserts and fought with demons and monsters in the name of the Church. He diligently studied the Scriptures, took on many different roles and responsibilities, from being the student council president to an Executor. Yet none of these activities and pursuits gave him an answer.</p><p>Even so, he was blessed with an angel in the form of Claude Hortensia. The woman loved him from the bottom of her heart, and even after learning about his affliction, she still endeavoured with all her might to save him, using the remaining years of her life and all her passion to reach out to him. Kirei himself understood that she was going above and beyond for his sake, surpassing what a normal human being would have been able to endure, and strove to respond in kind. But it was all for naught. No matter what he did, no spark ever appeared in his abyss of a heart. Even after bearing a daughter, he was still empty. When her illness finally caught up with her, he visited his wife moments before her death. She had finally accepted that she wasn't able to save him, but hoped against hope that her death would finally bring him peace.</p><p>"I could not love you." The man stated the cold, hard truth.</p><p>In response, she pulled the blade across her wrists.</p><p>When the tears flowed down his face for the first time as she succumbed to the darkness, she felt relief.</p><p>"No...you love me." A peaceful smile graced her lips as she breathed her last.</p><p>The man bawled his eyes out for the first time in his life, grief and anguish squeezing his heart until he couldn't breath.</p><p>But it was grief for not being able to kill her himself.</p><p>At that moment, he gave up. He would never be blessed with someone like Claude Hortensia again, who he was certain would be the only person to understand him on such a deep level. Despite only spending two short years together, he knew that she was the once-in-a-life person that nobody should let go of. Instead, he had wanted to bring grief on her when learning of her desire to save him, and in the end regretted not killing her himself. He was irredeemable.</p><p>Moments later, he silently left the room, rejecting all of God's teachings in his heart.</p><p>It was during the Fourth Holy Grail War that he found salvation, and finally embraced his innate nature, becoming the twisted man he was today. Now, he sought to inflict all manner of grief and suffering on others, almost as if to atone for enduring all these years without succumbing to his desires. Summoning Saber as his Servant was but one of these methods.</p><p>Back in the present, he buried Caliburn(fake), as well as numerous other artifacts related to King Arthur under the circle, and then invited Bazett to do the summoning to obtain the Lancer class. Why didn't he summon her in any other class? It was because he had noticed an interesting aspect of her legends, and intended to capitalize on it with the Lancer class and the resources he had on hand. If he succeeded, he would have a powerful ally, and also an obedient one as well. Furthermore, he would have another person to talk to as well.</p><p>But things weren't always going to go according to plan.</p><p>The air started swirling as mana started gathering around the Servant, the lance vibrating as the covers glowed and peeled off one by one. The ground started trembling as an enormous amount of mana gathered, Lancer channeling all her might into the now incandescent lance that was releasing an immense mana signature.</p><p>Across the city, multiple people took notice.</p><p>"Eh, are there Servants fighting?" In the temple grounds, a young girl muttered as she sweeped the leaves into a pile.</p><p>"Haaah, what the hell is that?" The Second Owner of the land lifted her head and gazed in the direction of the church.</p><p>"Kohkohkoh, it seems that a fight has broken out." Deep in the pits under the Matou family house, an old man chuckled.</p><p>"Berserker, you feel that? Let's go take a look!"</p><p>"Wait, let me finish this matcha strawberry ice cream double parfait."</p><p>A young albino girl struggled futilely to drag her Servant away from the sweets.</p><p>"Master, should we see if there's an opportunity?" A shadowy figure spoke in the dark room, the baseball cap unable to hide the strand of blond hair piercing through the fabric like it was nothing.</p><p>Deep in the church, the bindings on the lance finally released. A holy spear of light, released of the thirteen restraints that limited its power.</p><p>For the first time since she was summoned, she spoke. A mature, noble voice trembling with righteous rage issued forth from beneath the lion, rumbling throughout the entire room as dust shook from the ceiling and cracks appeared on the ground.</p><p>"Light, may you be released from the ends of the world."</p><p>Her rage at seeing her rightful Master slain in front of her eyes spurred her on, for she would never serve those that bent their knee to treachery and deceit. She, the Lion King, would always uphold justice and righteousness in her kingdom. Just like the tower that shone at the world's end, anchoring the skin of the planet, she too would serve as the anchor of her own ideals.</p><p>Even so, there were also fearless creatures of darkness, as twisted and aberrant as they were. As soon as the bindings were released, the priest had dashed forward with all his might, plunging his hand straight through the breast plate and her chest into her spiritual core, having made a deep cut on his palm beforehand.</p><p>"Kuh!" She had not expected a mere human to charge forward at her fearlessly, much less one that backstabbed their allies, yet he had done just that, utilizing the power of the Command Seals as pseudo Magic Circuits to reach speeds that rivaled Servants.</p><p>The horse under her rose up on its hind legs, and prepared to bolt forward, but one heavy chop from Kirei's free hand silenced it, the horse crumpling forward as its front legs knelt onto the ground, its head lowered until its muzzle brushed against the ground.</p><p>The moment he pierced her chest, he began the second phase of his plan.</p><p>"Lancer, I order you to discard your excuses."</p><p>In an alternate timeline, this method would be used by one Bazdilot Cordelion to turn Heracles into his Alter form, Alcides. But here, Kotomine Kirei was the pioneer of the technique, if it could be called as such. As a man who was filled with darkness, who deeply understood the human mind and sins, he could devise such an idea. Coupled with the Grail mud that ran through his veins, it was only natural that he would come to such a conclusion.</p><p>Lancer, on the verge of releasing her Noble Phantasm, was struck by the power of three Command Seals at once, the priest burning through Command Seals in order to achieve his goals. The Command Seals stocked up since the Third Holy Grail War, from when his father Risei Kotomine first supervised one, was 11 in total, one given out in the last war. In addition to the Command Seals he had for Gilgamesh, and now Lancer, he had 17 combined. Since this Servant was incredibly stubborn, he had no choice but to use three for each command to ensure absolute obedience. However, he had factored this into his calculations as well, anticipating even up to five for each command.</p><p>The command made its way through Lancers mind, burrowing into her brain as it rooted out each and every excuse she'd ever made. All the Saxon's killed, the villages burned, the children and women unintentionally harmed. Her own subjects that she failed to understand, her son Mordred, the eventual rebellion and internal strife that followed. All of the reasons that she told herself it was necessary, that even though she was responsible for them, that she was justified, they all disappeared. Losing her grip on the spear, it fell to the ground with a dull clang as she clutched her helmet, struggling with the weight of her actions. Kirei's hand never left her chest, remaining embedded deep inside even as one gauntlet gripped it and tried to pull it out.</p><p>"Lancer, I order you to recall every human in your life."</p><p>The laughter of an old man. The smile of a mysterious oniisan. The tears of a young girl. The scowl of her sister. The anguished pleas of a purpled haired knight. The quiet misery of she who threw away her womanhood to be queen. The rage filled cry of her daughter. The closed eyes of a knight plucking the strings of a bow. The joyful smile of her father. The radiant face of a famed knight. The frustrated face of a young boy kneeling in the mud. The stoic face of a knight in black armor. The young conscripts face full of terror moments before his death. The determined cries of the Saxons as they rallied and charged at her. The fearful look on the cooks as they chased her away from the kitchen before she burnt down something. The anxiety of a farmer meeting her for the first time. The crowds of people welcoming her in Camelot. The resolute faces of her soldiers at her side. The furious face of the man as he fell before her lance. The awe on her enemies and allies faces alike as they stared at the tower of light. The hand of the gentle knight that had stayed by her side til the very end.</p><p>There were much more, and she clearly saw each and every one of them, reliving each memory afresh. The atrocities she committed, the kindness she bestowed, the retribution against her, the help offered to her, they all flashed before eyes, condensed and compressed into a few seconds.</p><p>"GRAAAHH!"</p><p>If it wasn't for Kirei's arm in her chest, she would have fallen off the horse in agony. The horse shook slightly, but it didn't wake up from its injuries, remaining unconscious.</p><p>At this point, the combined might of six Command Seals was wreaking havoc on Lancers mind, stretching her consciousness against the entire length of her memories at once, while simultaneously eroding her reason against the sins she had committed with her own hands. The bulwarks that protected her justice fell one by one, her blood boiling as she thought of what she had done to become the ideal king, the greatest sin of all committed against herself.</p><p>"The king does not understand the hearts of men."</p><p>*Crk*</p><p>The hand clutching the helmet tightened, twisting the metal until it warped out of shape, the right eye of the lion crushed as it bent and snapped.</p><p>*Clang!*</p><p>She ripped it off her face and threw onto the ground, letting it bounce and roll away. Sweat flowed down her face as bloodshot eyes widened, completely abandoning the thought of pulling out his hand, instead both hands reaching up to hide her face in her hands. Her entire body trembled as her splendour seemed to vanish, all that was left was a young woman misunderstood by everyone as the weight of the burden she was carrying crashed on to her all at once, crushing her beneath its weight. Blood from biting her lips too hard mixed with tears and sweat as they flowed out from the gaps of her fingers, falling onto the saddle drop by drop.</p><p>The time was ripe.</p><p>"By these Command Seals, I order you, Artoria Pendragon of the Lancer class, to accept that which all of humankind shunned."</p><p>The hand in her chest had a cut across the palm, and from that palm, black mud started bubbling out of the opening. In a matter of mere seconds, mud spewed forth from the wound, instantly coating the insides of her body and twisting her Saint Graph, the curse seeping deeply into her very core. A master of Spiritual Surgery, he utilized the pseudo circuits of Command Seals and his own Magic Circuits in tandem to cut open each and every part of her spiritual being, letting the mud flow into every corner of her. Gently, he reached into her spiritual core and squeezed, damaging it just enough the mud to flow in and fill it to the brim. Once that was done, he retracted his hand out of her chest.</p><p>No longer did the resplendent Lion King stand there.</p><p>Now, a coal black horse with gleaming red eyes stood proudly, white mane swaying as it shook its head with snorting powerfully, pawing at the ground eagerly waiting for its chance. A skull-like faceplate covered its head, making it even more menacing. In addition, a faded red cloak covered most of its upper body, the top completely black, while traces of red remained at the bottom.</p><p>If the horse was menacing, then the rider was Dio.</p><p>Clad in black armor astride the horse, scale-like patterns were engraved all across the armor, sharp protrusions emerging from her forearms, helmet and shoulders. A black bodysuit covered the skin, and even though it was black, the armor still gleamed in the scant illumination left in the chamber. The helmet was a thing of dread, a dragon that promised to crush all its enemies effortlessly, while the fingers of each gauntlet were cruel claws that could easily rend the flesh of humans.</p><p>The lance clutched by the knight was no longer a pure white, but instead a dull black, almost like a lance made out of stone. Grooves ran down its length from the grip to the tip, and red crystal spikes protruded randomly along the lance, each one looking like it had been hammered into the lance instead of being forged with it. Above all, there was now a certain weight to the lance that wasn't there before, and the same thing could be said of the rider. There was now an oppressive air surrounding her, with not a single opening in sight.</p><p>Kirei took a step back, admiring his handiwork.</p><p>"I am Artoria Pendragon, King of Storms. I ask of you, are you my Master?"</p><p>All the hatred she had previously shown him had disappeared, but the commanding tone she used seemed to suggest she still wasn't exactly fond of him.</p><p>"My name is Kotomine Kirei, and I am your Master. Let us work together to obtain victory in the Holy Grail War." He smiled while saying things he had no intention of doing, the irony not lost on him.</p><p>"Understood. Also, if you ever betray me, I will pierce your rotten heart with this blackened lance."</p><p>He blinked, and then smiled in amusement.</p><p>"Do you disapprove of me as your Master?"</p><p>"I do not mind your methods, nor do I care about your motives. After all, I am in no position to judge you myself. However, I will not forgive you if you obstruct me in any way from obtaining my wish from the Grail. I swear this upon the tower that shines at the end of the world." She gazed at him dispassionately through her helm, but every word was sincere. She would kill him the moment he did anything to sabotage her chances of winning the war.</p><p>"Then let it be so. I shall support you whole-heartedly in your quest to pursue the Holy Grail." Empty words issued out of his mouth.</p><p>"But surely, your wish must be a great one if you are so desperate to win. In here, there are but the two of us, so it is your chance to confess your desires, and I as a man of the cloth shall receive your confession." He was actually quite curious about what she wanted, since he hadn't had much contact with her during the last war. It would also help him figure out how to make her suffer more exquisitely.</p><p>Lancer looked at him for a moment, wondering whether to tell him or not. Silence passed in the room as they stared at each other, the priest unintimidated by her hostility.</p><p>Then she spoke.</p><p>"I want to save myself."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Chapter 32</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 32</p><p>-a day before Atrum and Caster's arrival in Fuyuki</p><p>*scrrrch, skrch*</p><p>The mage scrawled out the magic circle out on the concrete floor, marking the correct symbols and inscribing various lines that cut through the circle and intersected with each other. All this was done by heart, the entire summoning ritual securely memorized in his head. All that was left was to place the catalyst into the circle after it was complete and say the words.</p><p>The warehouse he had chosen was by the docks, emptied for the time being of the crates that usually filled it. Few people frequented at this time of the day, and he had set up Bounded Fields to detect intruders and repel them. One couldn't be too careful in the Holy Grail War.</p><p>About a month ago, he had noticed red marks appearing on his skin, and after consulting with various Lords in the Clock Tower, he had learnt about their significance in the ritual held in his homeland. Convinced that this was his chance to make it big within the Clock Tower, he had traveled to this land in the Far East, hoping to use the Holy Grail to reach the Root, the ultimate goal of mages. Even if it wasn't able to do so, he was sure it would help further his research in some way.</p><p>*SSSSKRRREEEEEEEE*</p><p>The warning sounds of the outermost Bounded Field sounded as it screeched in the warehouse, alerting the owner to the presence of one intruder that had readily crossed the perimeter into the vicinity. Upon further analysis, he realized it was just a bird, the sparrow hopping on the ground as it looked for food.</p><p>"Hmph."</p><p>Thinking that he would be fooled with the sparrow was naive of the intruder. True, most other mages would be tricked into thinking the Bounded Field had simply been faulty in some manner, and proceed without any worry. However, he was a true master of Bounded Fields, having completed himself. Bounded Fields were that which separated the inside from the outside, and to completely master them, one must construct a complete world within their own body, the distinction of the inside and outside with one's own body as the boundary. After years of practice, trial and error and sheer determination, he had reached the pinnacle of his field.</p><p>"Rokudou Kyoukai" could be activated at any time to trap them, all that was needed was for them to enter into range of its effect. For now, all he had to do was play the fool and lure them in by pretending to start the ritual. Making the last marks on the floor, he stood up and proceeded to walk out of the circle, placing the faded piece of torn fabric in the circle before he did so.</p><p>The intruder was edging closer, almost at the doors of the warehouse now. With a grave countenance, he raised his arm and began the chant, his voice ringing loud and clear off the steel walls of the warehouse.</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Repeat every five times.</p><p>Simply, shatter once filled.</p><p>At this point, the intruder had circumvented the miniature Bounded Field he'd placed on the door earlier by surging mana onto the surrounding steel walls, causing the door to inwards as the steel corroded and aged. The door's fall was muffled with magecraft, the air stilled before it could pass on the vibrations of sound. Inwardly, the man who was still chanting raised an eyebrow. Clearly, the intruder was a mage with some innovative ideas, or at least was willing to think outside the box. Most magi would have tried to directly disarm the Bounded Field, or brute force broke it, but instead he focused on the surroundings to create a path that simply ignored the Bounded Field.</p><p>Silver and iron to the origin. Stone and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone.</p><p>My ancestor is the great master I pay tribute to.</p><p>The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.</p><p>――――I announce.</p><p>Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword.</p><p>The intruder was stealthily approaching him now, almost within range of his "Rokudou Kyoukai" now. He seemed to be waiting for the second last line of the chant to strike, when he was the most absorbed in the ritual and would fail to react fast enough to most attacks. Unfortunately, the Bounded Fields that he had constructed were not so easily foiled. When the Yin was destroyed, Yang would surge forth to take its place, until the Yin repelled it in an automatic response to restore balance. When Yang was destroyed, the Yin would creep into its former territory until it was repulsed by Yang again to harmonize the system. His Bounded Fields were based on Taijitu, an ancient philosophy originating from China that he had learnt about from his time as a Buddhist monk wandering the country, seeing countless deaths occur in front of him while being powerless to stop them.</p><p>In essence, if one part of his boundary were to fail, another would cover for it until it recovered, and vice versa. The taijitu represented the supreme ultimate, a limitless infinity, or some would say a primordial universe. It was an entire world contained within the circle, and anything disturbing that balance would automatically be detected. In addition, in accordance with the nature of the circle, the balance would be "corrected", in various ways depending on the nature of the intrusion. If the intruder was a magus and entered from the Yang side, their mana signature would upset the Yang by increasing above the natural state, and thus a flood of Yin would seek to quench their mana signature, effectively "blocking" their Magic Circuits, though not outright destroying them. If they entered the Yin side, they would reduce the Yin, thus forcing the Yin to flow towards the Yang side and it would flow towards the formerly Yin side, creating something like a convection flow of heat, disturbing the mana and making it almost impossible to cast spells, unless you wanted it to go horribly wrong.</p><p>This was the most common variation he used, but there were others with different degrees of lethality and utility. This one however, was the easiest and fastest to construct, though it did require the use of stones made of a rare material that were made to exacting specifications to represent the two points of symmetry within the Yin and the Yang.</p><p>Slowly, the intruder approached the back of the chanting man.</p><p>In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.</p><p>I hereby swear. I will be all that is good in the eternal world. I will be the disposer of evil in the eternal world.</p><p>The air whipped into a frenzy as shimmering walls of mana fluctuated around the circle, lights fading in and out within it.</p><p>*WSSH*</p><p>A ball of fire shot towards his back after the intruder traced a rune in the air, Kenaz blazing for a moment in the air before fading away.</p><p>"Fugu. Kongou. Dakatsu. Taiten. Chougyou. Ouken." Even before the rune was traced, right after he said the word "world", he was already reciting the mantra under his breath rapidly.</p><p>"W-wha?!"</p><p>The startled cry of the intruder sounded from behind as he turned around to face him, letting the mana in the circle dissipate as he turned his full attention to his would-be assassin, bound in black and white tendrils of energy as three circles rotated around him.</p><p>"It was a good attempt, but nowhere near enough to kill me. I'm intrigued though. You knew enough about my magecraft to bypass the outer Bounded Fields easily. You must have done your homework."</p><p>Theoretically, if one completely shut off their Magic Circuits, and had something on them that corresponded to the Yin or Yang side, it would let them travel to the center of the Bounded Field without being detected. Of course, the object couldn't be something that was a nexus of Yang or Yin energy, it had to barely give off enough energy to let the person blend in with the field while not disturbing it. In this case, the intruder had come in from the Yin side, and had simply stuffed several cucumbers under his red coat, as cucumbers were considered to be Yin, did not give off too much Yin energy, and were readily available, not to mention cheap.</p><p>Of course, having to warm up the Magic Circuits before casting spells was a demerit of this method of sneaking in, since the caster of the Bounded Field would easily be able to get the first strike in. But with the aid of stealth, the intruder could take as much time as he needed to reactivate his Magic Circuits and then strike. Unfortunately, the master of the Bounded Field was already well-aware of what he was trying to attempt, and was prepared for him.</p><p>"Hoh, wait a second. I recognize you from the Clock Tower. Are you not Lord El-Melloi of the Modern Magecraft Theories Department? I had heard rumors of you participating in the last Holy Grail War, but what could possibly possess you to throw yourself into another one?"</p><p>The magus trapped in the Bounded Field was indeed Lord El-Melloi the Second, also known as Waver Velvet, Professor Charisma, Great Big Ben London Star and many other names.</p><p>"It's Lord El-Melloi the Second, please." Is what he would have said if he had been able to move his mouth. His earlier cry of surprise had been cut off midway by the paralysis as well. The Bounded Field "Rokudou Kyoukai" paralyzed his whole body, preventing the external layers of muscle from moving. While the man's origin of "Stillness" could ostensibly stop even the internal muscles, stopping the heart from beating and blood from flowing in the veins, this instant kill method took a large amount of concentration and mana, and he wanted to keep the intruder alive for questioning.</p><p>The fireball was still hovering mid-air, frozen in place, until the man waved a hand at it, and it vanished to return to the state of still air.</p><p>"Amatsu."</p><p>The focal point corresponding to the throat in the meridian system suggested by Chinese medicine that corresponded to the five elements and eight meridians, all held to be within the taijitu of the human body.</p><p>"Gahk! Kuh, koff!"</p><p>He spluttered as his throat suddenly contracted, before his lips and mouth were unsealed.</p><p>"Did you come here of your own accord?"</p><p>The Lord with long black hair dropping straight to his chest tried to nod his head, then realizing it was futile, simply answered.</p><p>"Yes, I came here to take your place in the Fifth Holy Grail War."</p><p>The man stared at El-Melloi, slightly surprised at his straightforwardness. He searched his eyes, looking for any sign of falsehood. Seeing none, he nodded.</p><p>"At least you're honest. The rumors about you being an eccentric among the Lords was quite true."</p><p>"I prefer to think of myself as quirky, though I suppose when compared with other mages, especially the Lords, I would be eccentric."</p><p>"Returning from the Holy Grail War with your life and body intact, then buying the El-Melloi class and taking over your former teacher's position, who had died in the same War you participated in. Now, you boast the position of being one of the youngest Lord's among the twelve, as well as immense popularity among the younger generation of magi. Quite an interesting person indeed. You must have been severely changed by the experience of the last War you participated in." The man's face didn't change, maintaining the face that seemed to be carved of grief, his face gaunt as many wrinkles and lines marred his forehead, cheeks and chin.</p><p>"Before I kill you, would you mind telling me the reason why you want to participate so badly in this War? I confess to being a little curious, to go so far as to forsake your responsibilities at the Clock Tower when you weren't chosen by the Mage's Association and sneaking into Japan to assassinate me." It was true that outside of being chosen for the War like Kayneth El-Melloi was, sneaking away to take part in it was difficult for a Lord in charge of one of the twelve departments, let alone one with such popularity like Lord El-Melloi II.</p><p>Waver looked at the man and his face riddle with grief, hesitated, and then spoke.</p><p>"I want to see him again and fulfill his wish."</p><p>The man standing before Waver didn't know who he was talking about, but at any rate he could understand that he was willing to kill and die for this man he was referring to.</p><p>"Very well. Then, let your death be added to my sins."</p><p>Saying so, he pulled his fist back and prepared to punch him.</p><p>*sCHWOOM*</p><p>Without warning, his Bounded Field collapsed. He immediately went on guard, abandoning the thought of killing El-Melloi, and raised his fists while surveying his surroundings, prepared to intercept any attackers.</p><p>*KRSHANG*</p><p>The corrugated steel roof of the warehouse caved in as a gray blur burst through, aiming straight for the man.</p><p>*WU-TANG*</p><p>The massive scythe was barely blocked by his two hands, his palms sandwiching the blade and preventing it from lowering onto his head. Suddenly, the scythe began glowing, and he immediately let go of it, jumping far back to distance himself from the new enemy. El-Melloi was released from his paralysis and fell to the ground, the cucumbers falling out of his coat and rolling across the ground.</p><p>"Master, are you all right?"</p><p>The new arrival asked him in worry as she clutched her staff, a gray hood covering her head and gray cape hanging down her back. Her legs were clad in black tights and leather boots with wide openings, while a black jacket with fur lining around the collar wrapped around her body warmly. Black gloved hands clutched the scythe, her knees bent slightly even as she stared at their enemy.</p><p>"Argh, it's kinda sore...well I'm mostly fine though."</p><p>He rubbed his back as he stood back up, free from the Bounded Field once more.</p><p>"So you had accomplices. In truth, I was wondering whether the famed Lord El-Melloi II could have gambled on the slight chance that I wouldn't notice you, but it seems you had everything planned out after all."</p><p>He assumed a fighting stance, feet shoulder-length apart as his fists rose to his chest.</p><p>"Still, what an interesting weapon you have there. It seems that you've managed to acquire someone with special skills. Even my Bounded Field couldn't affect her." He cast his eyes down to his fists.</p><p>"For a moment it felt like od was being sucked out of my body. I will have to be careful around it then." No more words were said as he suddenly pounced forward, his body blurring with the sudden motion as he crossed the distance to Gray in a second. She barely managed to raise the scythe in time to block the blow, getting pushed back slightly as she left two trails on the floor. Without even giving the scythe a chance to absorb his mana, the man withdrew his fist, twisted and struck with his leg, a full-body rotating kick coming from the left to cripple her ribs and lungs.</p><p>But by pure instinct, the scythe was already there to intercept the leg that could be described as an iron battering ram. The force threw her back as she did a somersault in the air and landed back on the ground, and her hood flew open, exposing her face to the world.</p><p>"A rare beauty even in this day and age. Why do you hide your face with a hood?"</p><p>Her gray hair tied into a bun, the golden yellow eyes and the face were all incredibly similar to a certain Servant that had taken part in the last Holy Grail War. It was to the point that one would wonder if they were long lost twins separated at birth, if they were put side-by-side.</p><p>The girl ignored his comment, fully focused on the fight. While she normally would pull up her hood again, in a fight she was fully committed to her opponent, and would remain undistracted no matter what they said. These were the ingrained fighting instincts given to her from the body of King Arthur.</p><p>Sensing no reaction, he decided to continue the fight, wholly ignoring the Lord behind him.</p><p>"Get ready to have the grief beaten out of you monk! IHIHIHIHI!"</p><p>Suddenly, a voice rang out from the scythe, metallic and loaded with sarcasm. Gray's hands tightened their grip on the scythe, and it responded with a howl of pain.</p><p>"Owow, OOOWWWW! Ok, ok I'll shut up."</p><p>The man instantly dashed forward without pause the moment it stopped talking, legs breaking the floor with each step. The body he was using had immense strength, able to punch through concrete and dodge bullets after they had been fired. He had lived within many bodies over the centuries, each container more stronger than the last, until he reached the pinnacle of human physical ability. Now, his puppets were capable of standing toe to toe with Dead Apostles and Enforcers, even with his rudimentary combat skill. In addition, the Bounded Field he had cast on himself enhanced his body in a way similar to Reinforcement, but on different principles. Where Reinforcement forced mana into the cracks of an object, such as a body, his Bounded Field instead constructed a world within himself, and rearranged that world that he had complete control over within him as he saw fit. As such, all the normal human limiters were released, adrenalin could be pumped whenever he wanted to, and his muscles could contract and expand to their utmost limit, far surpassing what a normal human could do.</p><p>*BANG*</p><p>The fist collided with the scythe again and again and again, shockwaves pulsing from the point of contact with every blow.</p><p>A left hook. A right haymaker. A straight jab. A poke aimed at the eyes. Six lightning fast fists in quick succession at her chest. A roundhouse kick to the temple. An axe kick straight from above. Not a single blow landed on Grays body, even as he dashed around her to strike from various angles, while Gray ducked and twirled between some blows and blocking the rest.</p><p>Despite his efforts to retract his fists and legs to avoid prolonged contact with the scythe, he could feel his od being eaten by it bit by bit. Sooner or later, he would run out of od, and the Bounded Field would collapse, and he himself would suffer a sudden loss of speed and strength. Meanwhile, the energy absorbed by the scythe strengthened it, turning it more and more powerful. Without his more elaborate Bounded Fields in place to enhance his combat ability, the outcome was clear.</p><p>With a cry, she charged forward as the monk retreated as far as he could, the rosary beads around his neck clicking against each other.</p><p>"Please, Add!"</p><p>"Alright, here it comes!"</p><p>The scythe suddenly enlarged, extending its reach as Gray swung it with all her strength. Caught by surprise from the sudden extension, he barely managed to get away with a deep slice wound across his chest, blood spilling out of it. Then he stepped on one of the cucumbers that had rolled onto the floor earlier, crushing it, and slipped on its pulp. Gray took the chance to leap into the air.</p><p>"Ouken!"</p><p>As a last ditch effort, he poured all his od into the personal Bounded Field, hoping to freeze her in place for a second.</p><p>"Grave me."</p><p>The scythe instantly glowed, sucking up all the magical energy in the form of tendrils as they reached out to her, utterly destroying the Bounded Field. The man simply had bad compatibility against her, the weapon being strong against Bounded Fields as it ate up magical energy.</p><p>"Grave for you."</p><p>The oversized scythe slashed through the air, cutting through the man's body and into the concrete floor below, a golden beam of light following its path.</p><p>*splrach!*</p><p>His body was split into two as the spirit was consumed, the Anti-Undead conceptual power of the scythe consuming the soul as it was the product of 300 years of festering in different puppet bodies, qualifying it as an undead monster, even if the puppet body was fundamentally similar to a normal humans. The Bounded Field flashed once or twice, before disappearing completely.</p><p>"GAHAHAHA! Job well done little Gray. Now go to your Master to get a pat on the head!"</p><p>The scythe's annoying voice grated on their ears, and she quickly returned him to the birdcage he usually resided in. Then she seemed to notice her face was out in the open.</p><p>"Ah!"</p><p>Quickly, she pulled down the hood and looked away from her Master, clearly embarrassed. For his part, El-Melloi opened his mouth to speak up, but then gave up and sighed. For now, he should just congratulate her.</p><p>*BzzT*</p><p>"Hey, how's it going down there, you got the puppet dude yet? Over."</p><p>The voice of a young boy filtered in through a walkie-talkie clipped to El-Melloi's belt, crackling slightly with static. He pulled it off his belt to reply.</p><p>"Yes, we killed him. Is there anyone approaching the warehouse?"</p><p>A moment passed before the boy responded.</p><p>"Nope, don't see anyone. It's pretty cool though to be able to fly in a helicopter, the open air's pretty nice! Over."</p><p>The man rubbed his temples as his most flippant student talked without a care.</p><p>"Look, focus on the job. Despite the Bounded Fields erected around it, somebody could still spot the helicopter and target it, or realize something's going on at the docks. Just keep a look out. And stop saying "over" every time."</p><p>"Roger that Professor Charisma! Over."</p><p>He sighed in defeat.</p><p>"Oh, and good job on being the decoy for us on the ground! Must have been quite exciting, over."</p><p>He declined to respond any more and simply clipped it back to his belt, the walkie talkie remaining mercifully silent after that. He turned back to Gray.</p><p>"Anyways, good job for defeating Souren Araya. He would have been a troublesome opponent to defeat, but as he couldn't summon a Servant within his Bounded Fields at his base since they were too perfect, he had to come out in the open to do so, giving us our chance. You were our best weapon against him, and you did admirably well."</p><p>The girl peeked at him from the side, before looking back away.</p><p>"Th-thanks, Master."</p><p>Seeing her continue being embarrassed he decided to divert her attention with something else. He turned to the magic circle undisturbed by the previous fight, kept in perfect shape by his magecraft.</p><p>"Let's get to summoning the Servant then. Gray, here's your chance to call up a familiar that surpasses any others you've seen before."</p><p>Gray hesitated, before walking towards the circle, eyes still looking at the ground.</p><p>"Since you have the best circuits here, you'll be able to support your Servant much better than I did before. You've memorised the lines right?" El-Melloi gave her a few words of encouragement before the summoning, smiling slightly as he recalled his own experience.</p><p>"Don't worry, it'll be something for you to remember long after the War."</p><p>Gray nodded, then took out the birdcage containing Add, and placed it in the middle of the circle. When it came to catalysts, few were better than the holy spear that shone at the ends of the world.</p><p>"Relying on me once more? No problem, I'll get it done, IHIHIHIHI!"</p><p>Waver cut the hand with the red marks off the corpse and took it to Gray, inscribing several symbols on her hand and the cooling corpse's hand. The marks glowed, then transferred over to Grays ungloved right hand.</p><p>"Alright, you can begin whenever you're ready."</p><p>Gray took a deep breath, and then held up her right hand towards the magic circle, focusing her Magic Circuits.</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Repeat every five times.</p><p>Simply, shatter once filled.</p><p>Silver and iron to the origin. Stone and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone.</p><p>My ancestor is the great master I pay tribute to.</p><p>The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.</p><p>Strong winds started circulating around the warehouse, mana gathering in one spot. The birdcage that held Add started shaking vigorously, the cube sent back and forth across the limited space inside.</p><p>"Ouch, OW! This better end qui-OW!"</p><p>On the sides, El-Melloi grinned vindictively at his predicament.</p><p>――――I announce.</p><p>Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword.</p><p>In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.</p><p>I hereby swear. I will be all that is good in the eternal world. I will be the disposer of evil in the eternal world.</p><p>You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance ―――！</p><p>The mana reached its peak, the lights glowing to the climax as wind howled like a miniature tornado on top of the magic circle.</p><p>*FWOOSH*</p><p>And then it was all gone, the cage containing Add rolling away across the floor after being blown out of the circle by the final burst of energy that had surged out.</p><p>Slowly, the two people opened their eyes to look at what they had summoned.</p><p>"Code Name: Heroine X. I am a Servant summoned to deal with the recent problem of the ever-increasing number of Sabers appearing. Nice to meet you."</p>
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<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Chapter 33</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 33</p><p>A blue jersey with golden highlights. A luxurious muffler with a matching color scheme fluttered with both ends behind her. A black cap with a familiar gold pattern that El-Melloi could swear he'd seen before. A pair of black leather hiking boots. Black shorts that could have been mistaken for bloomers peaked out under her jersey, and a blue sweatband wrapped around the wrist of her left arm. In her right, she clutched a glowing sword that El-Melloi definitely recognized, and for some reason a very stiff strand of hair was sticking out of her baseball cap, piercing through some unseen hole in it to remain visible. Finally, her face was a dead ringer for Gray. The resemblance was so uncanny as to be almost completely the same, the facial structure mimicking each other in every way possible, to the point they could be mistaken as twins. The only differences were the eye and hair color.</p><p>"By the way, I'm not an Assassin, I'm definitely a...hm?"</p><p>The Servant paused midway, noticing something about her Master.</p><p>"That aura around you…my ahoge is reacting to it. Could it be?..."</p><p>Indeed, the strand of hair hanging out of her cap was twitching slightly in Gray's direction, vibrating a little as well. Gray, confused by her Servant's reaction to her, pulled the hood further down on her face as MHX stared hard at her face.</p><p>Step by step, the Servant drew closer to the Master, staring intently at her all the while. Gray was reminded of Svin's behaviour around her, but even he wasn't so intense, though on occasion it could reach this level. El-Melloi watched the proceedings on the side, slightly confused as well.</p><p>"Master, could you lift your hood for me to look at your face?" MHX stopped right in front of her, green eyes burning holes into Gray's head. In response, she shrank even further into her hood, embarrassed by someone staring at her so hard.</p><p>"Um, is it really necessary? My face isn't really worth looking at."</p><p>"No, please flip it open right now." The Servant's voice took on a harder edge, her eyes narrowing at Gray. Sensing hostility, El-Melloi started to walk forward to intervene.</p><p>"So what do we call you? Your code name is Heroine X, so do we call you that? Or is there some other name you'd like us to call you?" El-Melloi was wondering what kind of Heroic Spirit she was. Based on her clothing, she seemed to be a very modern Heroic Spirit, but with Add, and by extension Rhongomyniad, as the catalyst, there was no way they had summoned anyone else other than King Arthur. Who the hell was she then? She certainly looked the same, but her clothing and words seemed to contradict that notion.</p><p>"Just call me MHX, short for Mysterious Heroine X. I am the Saber that will kill all Sabers. Now lift your hood, Master."</p><p>Undeterred, she doggedly insisted on seeing her face.</p><p>"Why do you want to see my face?"</p><p>"I need to know if you look like me." MHX answer was perplexing, but after El-Melloi heard what she had said about being a Saber that would kill all Sabers, he could deduce why she was asking now. If she was referring to that Saber, it would explain why she was so aggressive towards Gray.</p><p>"She doesn't look like you at all, right Gray?" He tried to assuage her concerns, knowing that if she decided to use brute force, he wouldn't be able to do a thing.</p><p>Gray looked at her Master as he winked at her.</p><p>"No, I don't look like you at all." She didn't understand why he wanted her to lie about her looks, but it was most likely for her own good.</p><p>"I see. In that case, I'll just have to see for myself."</p><p>Before either of them could react, her hand shot forward like a bullet and flipped open the hood, ripping the fabric out of Gray's hands.</p><p>*fwip*</p><p>Gray's shocked face was out in the open, staring at MHX for doing that to her. Were all Servants like this?</p><p>MHX stared at her face long and hard, walking around her to inspect every inch of her features, then stepped one step closer from behind until she was standing right next to Gray. With deliberate movements, she raised her nose to sniff her hair, then pushed her head forward until she was cheek to cheek with Gray. Gray was frozen in shock at her actions, unable to react properly. Slowly, a pink tongue extended out of MHX's mouth to lick Gray's cheek, dragging across the porcelain fine skin and absorbing the taste of her body. The slimy appendage tickled Gray, but she felt no urge to laugh or jerk away from it. She was utterly frozen by MHX's actions, muscles unable to respond normally.</p><p>"This taste...is the taste of an Artoria! Gray Pendragon!"</p><p>*FWISH*</p><p>The glowing sword blurred forward, light trailing behind it as it swung to bisect her in half at the waist.</p><p>"GRAY!"</p><p>Even as she was licking Gray, El-Melloi had already prepared the crystals and threw them at MHX as she was about to finish her sentence. The crystals activated just as she swung her sword, five cubes each reaching a predetermined point to form a square pyramid of light encasing MHX, freezing her for a moment. Thankfully, she had no Magic Resistance to speak of, so even the magic by a mediocre quality magus such as El-Melloi could restrain her for a second. That second was enough for Gray to dive forward and dodge the sword as it shattered the pyramid and completed its swing.</p><p>"All Sabers must be killed, all Artorias must be destroyed! They are a cancer of the universe, and I am the CURE!"</p><p>MHX seemed to be going into a frenzy at the sight of Gray, her switch flipping hard. El-Melloi had no idea what she was raving about, but he knew that they had to act fast, or the War would end for them sooner than they thought. It seemed like she had been triggered by Gray's appearance, so there was a possible countermeasure he could use.</p><p>"Wait, she didn't want to be like this!"</p><p>She paused just as she was about to charge at Gray, the ferocious light in her eyes fading a little as she registered his words.</p><p>"Didn't want to be like that? What do you mean?"</p><p>She wasn't too far gone yet, despite her sudden spike in anti-Saber cells, so she was willing to listen.</p><p>"She was molded from birth by Arthur cultists to become a vessel for King Arthur, and so her appearance suddenly became like King Arthur at a certain point in her life. She never wanted to wear this face, and it was all forced upon her by people who never treated her as human. She even lost her sense of self, unable to differentiate her own existence from that King Arthur. In the end, her only purpose was to act as the flesh of King Arthur, and her soul would be lost once the soul of King Arthur was fused to her body. In fact, she hates this face, for forcing her to become like this in the first place!"</p><p>He quickly explained her circumstances to her, making sure to stress the fact that she didn't want to be a Saberface in the first place, and that it was forced on her. Still, MHX still looked like she was going to run her sword through Gray. Then inspiration struck.</p><p>"Also, her wish is to change her face back to her original."</p><p>At that, MHX seemed to have an internal struggle for a moment, before lowering her sword.</p><p>"If this face was forced on her from the start, then she's a victim instead of an enemy of the Artoria cancer. Good grief, to think there were people that would actually turn people into Saberfaces, how crazy are they? And if she wants to change her face with the Holy Grail, then she's reducing the number of Saberfaces, and that aligns with my mission. Very well, I'll be willing to serve as her Servant then. Also, she does not have the taste of a Saber, so she's fine in that regard too. In fact, her taste is closer to that of an Assassin, very fragrant…"</p><p>Some of her words made no sense, but they managed to get the gist of it. El-Melloi let out a sigh of relief as Gray stood back up, the unusually silent Add in her hands.</p><p>"What a mess. Well, let's introduce ourselves here. I'm Waver Velvet, but most just call me Lord El-Melloi II, and your Master here is Gray Pendragon, my apprentice."</p><p>"That's right, Sir saved me from the village I was raised in, and he hates my face so he told me to wear a hood to hide it." Gray seemed to catch on to why MHX hated just now, and decided to pitch in to help convince her.</p><p>"Ohoh? A fellow anti-Saber enthusiast! What luck, I thought I wouldn't be able to find a compatriot, but it seems like I've struck gold! Let's kill Sabers together, El-Melon!"</p><p>"It's El-Melloi!"</p><p>After a rough start, the Servant started to get along with her Master and allies, and when the other student of El-Melloi descended from the helicopter to join them, the two of them hit it off straight away. It took a while for them to restore order, but El-Melloi managed to get them focused again.</p><p>"Now, we have several objectives in the Fifth Holy Grail War. First and foremost, we are not to win the war, but instead investigate the Grail, and determine its nature, as well as judge whether it needs to be dismantled, reset or retrieved for study, depending on the results of the investigation. We also have the secondary objectives of securing important thaumaturgical discoveries to boost the position of various departments in the Clock Tower, and finding out what happened to the younger of the Edelfelt sisters that took part in the Third Holy Grail War. These were mandated by our backers, the Edelfelt family and the Archisorte family, so if we don't fulfill them we can expect them to force us into some absurd demand to repay the favours we owe them at a later date." He paused, grimacing at the thought of what Reines in particular would make him do.</p><p>"Anyways, our first course of action is to eliminate the other Masters besides the Three families, to reduce the potential risk factors, which means we have three targets. We know the identities of two of our targets, both sent by other factions in the Clock Tower, and we will target them first. The first, an Enforcer specializing in hunting Sealing Designations, who has also traveled the world on numerous missions and fought many different enemies across the world to become famous among Enforcers, Bazett Fraga Mcremitz. The second, an alchemist affiliated with Valuay, the faculty of Creation, with numerous financial assets at his command, Atrum Galiasta. We have received word that Atrum and Bazett are both coming to Fuyuki in the next few days, but Atrum will arrive first, so we will target him at the earlier opportunity we get. Ass-Saber, observe him from a distance and strike if an opportunity presents itself, understand?" She had been insistent on them calling her "Saber", and since it would confuse their enemies as well, he agreed to do so.</p><p>"I only listen to my Master."</p><p>"Ah, MHX please do like he asked you to."</p><p>"Got it! But for now, do you guys have anything to eat around here? Any Artorium bars or Cosmocrisps?"</p>
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<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Chapter 34</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 34</p><p>"HE'S STILL HERE!?"</p><p>El-Melloi's panic stricken voice rang into their ears, the entire base able to hear his cry as it echoed through the hallways of the manor purchased by the Edelfelts.</p><p>"Yes, Golden Great Emperor Cosmo Gilgamesh engaged Caster and her Master at the foot of Mount Enzou. He also seems to be a stuck-up prick just like the one from the Servant Universe."</p><p>El-Melloi had almost had a panic attack as he crouched under the table while the other people in the base looked at him, concerned for his mental wellbeing. Flatt went to tap his shoulder.</p><p>"Um, Professor? Are you ok?"</p><p>"He'sherehe'sherehe'sherehe'sherehe'sherehe'shere…"</p><p>He repeatedly said the same thing like a broken record, the PTSD from his last encounter with Gilgamesh kicking in. Despite his personal promise to face the War like Iskandar would have wanted him to, facing the almighty killer of his Servant was still terrifying.</p><p>Assassin's voice cut through his muttering.</p><p>"Oy, pull yourself together comrade. It's unbecoming for a fellow anti-Saber to act like that!"</p><p>Assassin's sharp retort cut through his terror, and he stopped muttering, crawling out from under the table while regaining control of his mental faculties. Coughing, he tugged his collar.</p><p>"Ah...I apologize for my behaviour. Ahem, have you confirmed his death?"</p><p>"Yes, Atrum Galiasta's body was incinerated by Gilgamesh. However, his Servant disappeared, and may have possibly found a new master."</p><p>"I see, in that case we'll have to monitor the surroundings for mana fluctuations to spot where she set up base. Flatt, you're in charge of monitoring the leylines of the land."</p><p>"Yes sir!"</p><p>"With one target down, that leaves the Enforcer. Let's lay low for now and wait for her to arrive. She should be coming any day now." Looking up, he checked the clock.</p><p>"Alright, return to the base, we've done enough for one night. Let's get some rest now."</p><p>"Saber, please return."</p><p>"Got it Master. Mind if I grab a few treats on the way back?"</p><p>Gray looked to El-Melloi for instructions, and he simply sighed and shrugged.</p><p>"Um, ok then. Ah, could you grab some of those sweet fish-shaped buns for me as well?"</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>"Hey, also I want some okonomiyaki as well!"</p><p>"Okonomiyaki too? Well, I was planning on getting some anyways, so I guess I just have to get more. You guys are paying for all this anyways."</p><p>"Don't spend all our cash on food!" El-Melloi stuck his head through the door and yelled.</p><p>The comms devolved into a delivery service run by Assassin as the rest of the team placed their orders with her. Thankfully, she had worked with the Galactic Highway before back in her native universe, so she was well-versed in the ways of the deliverywoman.</p><p>"I want a carton of takoyaki!"</p><p>"One can of MAX coffee."</p><p>"Crepes for me!"</p><p>"I'll have two number 9s, a number 9 large, a number 6 with extra dip, a number 7, two number 45s, one with cheese, and a large soda."</p><p>Assassin mentally noted them all down, though the last one was quite long and specific.</p><p>"Is that all? Kay, I'll be back soon."</p><p>With that, the Cosmoreactor in her body revved, her body dashing across the streets and jumping on rooftops in a show of agility while she sought to fulfill her orders.</p><p>-the next day, Mount Enzou</p><p>Caster linked to the leyline like her teacher had taught her, using the staff as a catalyst while standing in the magic circle drawn on the tatami mats in the room. Although her knowledge of magecraft was somewhat rough, connecting to leylines was still something that Merlin had deemed necessary to teach her. She had enlisted the help of her Master to draw the circles around the temple in hidden areas before he went to work, cast illusion magic to further obscure their position, then went to work in the main magic circle at the center, right on top of the leyline. She had also been introduced to the temple early in the morning as a niece of Kuzuki's that had just lost her parents and had to come to live with him, to conveniently provide her an excuse for staying at the temple.</p><p>"In the time of twilight, may the unimaginable King of Fairies grant me sight. O great Albion, the final dragon of the greatest line, draw from the fracture that beats with the Earth's blood. Mine is the star that shines in the sky, held aloft by these hands to bring glimmers of hope to every eye. Yet, the luster of stars will not last forever. So let the knights gather, let the walls stand robust and the cries of victory reach the end. For the sake of this fate, arousing hope within she of the lake. Catalyst Reversion, Around Caliburn."</p><p>Golden motes of light drifted in the air around her, a gently blowing breeze carrying the scent of flowers entering the room as her golden hair lifted slightly, her eyes closed and hands clasped around the staff as if in prayer.</p><p>Her Noble Phantasm was an expression of her personal world, a citadel of impenetrable walls, filled with the cries of victory that even triumphed over the end. Herself, a star of portent that shone with hope, seeking the end of her fate that was yet unknown to her. Nevertheless, she would persist along the path, gathering companions to form the True Round. Albion, the white dragon of Britain, had died trying to reach the Reverse Side of the World in this timeline, it's tomb the base of the current Clock Tower. Yet, because of that, it was linked to the major ley lines of the land after digging deeply into the soil in a desperate attempt to reach the Reverse Side on its own strength. A symbol of the fallen dragon that was left behind, deeply connected to the veins that flowed through the land. All these served as lines to link Caster to the leylines, her world being funneled into the ley line to intrinsically link the two, giving it permission to become part of her world, allowing Caster to deploy her Noble Phantasm on Mount Enzou easily since "part of her world already existed". The mana flowing through it was hers, and in return her world was imprinted on the land. In other words, even after she left, a shade of her Noble Phantasm would remain on Mount Enzou, raising the spirits of the monks and slightly increasing their vitality as long as they resided in the temple. Further side effects were also possible, depending on the amount of mystery possessed by the subject.</p><p>For an instant, a citadel with white walls sprung up into existence around the hill, the twilight sky lit up with the radiance of chalk white walls that reached the horizon. Then it was gone, the scenery the same as it always was. There would be several reports of people who hallucinated seeing a paradise that day.</p><p>Inside the church study, Kirei sighed as he managed the paperwork regarding the Mount Enzou road work repairs. Couldn't Gilgamesh just throw a few swords less?</p><p>Inside the Edelfelt manor, Flatt suddenly saw the liquid crystal model of the city distort at the same time Caster completed her linking to the ley lines.</p><p>"Game select."</p><p>Waving his hand at the model, it shifted to zoom in on the distortion, Mount Enzou glowing red as ripples spread outward from it.</p><p>"Professor I-"</p><p>Hang on, Great Big Ben London Star isn't here, so I can sneak out to see a Servant with my own eyes!</p><p>Flat took action immediately, rushing off to grab Gray and Assassin as well, because the more the merrier, right?</p><p>"Sneaking off without telling Sir? How daring, IHIHI!" Add commented on her actions, even though she was powerless to resist Flat's enthusiasm.</p><p>Flat took a motorcycle out of the car park as Gray sat on the back as the passenger, Assassin dematerialized while following them. Just as he burst onto the street and made a hard right, El-Melloi turned the street corner on the left and spotted them.</p><p>"Huh? Who was tha...wait it's you Flat! Stop, do you think you're going!"</p><p>He ran a few steps, but they were already quite some distance away. Furious, he ran back into the manor to keep track of their movements.</p><p>Meanwhile, Flat, Gray and Assassin went from the southern end of Miyama Town straight to Mount Enzou. It wasn't very far, so they managed to make it in under half an hour.</p><p>"So this is where Caster disappeared to. To think that she only teleported to somewhere only a few hundred meters away."</p><p>Assassin looked at the melted piece of tarmac on the ground.</p><p>"Wow, you can really tell a fight happened here! Look at all the craters in the ground!"</p><p>Indeed, tape cordoned off the damaged sections of the road around the bottom of the stairs leading up to Ryuudou Temple, which spanned quite a large area. A sign saying "Road works in progress" and a small notice about gas pipe malfunctions were also there as well.</p><p>Gray looked around, surprised by the damage that had been dealt.</p><p>"Um, Flat, I don't think it's a good idea to just go up to their base like that. It might be dangerous."</p><p>"Don't worry, we'll just say we come in peace for a temporary truce!"</p><p>Internally, Assassin wondered whether he had a few screws loose in the head, though she wasn't one to talk as well.</p><p>"Let's go see Caster!"</p><p>He took the stairs three at a time and ran up, the flustered Gray and Assassin following in his wake.</p><p>"FLAT! What the hell are you doing there?"</p><p>El-Melloi's voice rang in his ears as the Mystic Code transmitted his voice from the base.</p><p>"Just meeting a Caster, don't worry."</p><p>"Meeting Caster? Get out of there righ-bzrrrt."</p><p>Flat stopped and tapped the Mystic Code in his ear. It failed to respond, the Mystic Code only humming static for a bit before going silent.</p><p>"Well, I guess the Bounded Fields Caster made blocked the connection. Can't be helped" He pocketed the Mystic Code and continued to go up.</p><p>"Flat! We should really stop!"</p><p>Gray raised her voice in a rare moment of admonition.</p><p>"We don't know what to expect, and we could get captured or killed any moment!"</p><p>"You're starting to sound like Professor El-Melloi." Flat only grinned at her words, not taking her seriously at all.</p><p>"Besides, we have a Servant to protect us. And you have "that" as well, don't you?"</p><p>"Please stop right there."</p><p>A calm voice interrupted them, coming from the top of the stairs. Turning around, both Gray and Flat saw a stoic man in a business suit standing at the second last landing of the stairs ahead of them. Sensing hostility, Assassin materialized in front of Gray, watching the man warily.</p><p>"Oooh, are you the new Master of Caster? Nice to meet you, I'm Flat Escardos, and this is Gray!"</p><p>The man wasn't taken aback by his apparent friendliness, and introduced himself in return.</p><p>"Souichirou Kuzuki. I am the Master of Caster, and I ask that you turn back before I am forced to take action."</p><p>"Ah, I just wanted to come meet Caster, it's pretty cool to meet such a legendary hero, particularly a fellow spellcaster as well! Can we just see her, please? I promise we won't fight or anything."</p><p>Flat smiled and offered a temporary truce to them.</p><p>Kuzuki tilted his head, considering his offer. Abruptly, Caster sent him a mental message.</p><p>"That Servant is the one that killed my former Master. Be careful, she's probably an Assassin class Servant. Also, tell them that their truce for entry is denied, but if they want to speak to me they can do it from there."</p><p>Kuzuki nodded, and then turned back to them.</p><p>"You cannot enter, but you can speak to Caster through me."</p><p>Flat scratched the back of his head, his face slightly disappointed as his smile grew smaller.</p><p>"Well that's a shame. I was looking forward to seeing your face. But I can still talk to you, so I'll take the opportunity to ask you, what's your Noble Phantasm?"</p><p>There was a moment of silence as Caster tried to digest what she had just heard. Had he just straight up asked to know about her ace in the hole?</p><p>Suddenly, the cage under Gray's cloak started glowing intensely, Add rattling around in the cage, shaking it free from the hook on her belt.</p><p>"Grr, bZorrSCCCHk, RhonGomy-SCRRR-ad react-SCrrtttTT-ing! GRRZZZ"</p><p>"Add! What's going on?"</p><p>The tower that shone at the ends of the world was reacting to the Noble Phantasm of Caster, both of them constructs at "the end of the world" designed to protect humanity against complete extinction. Their concepts resonated with each other, the mana in the air causing the energy sealed by the Pseudo Personality Add to run wild, Rhongomyniad resurfacing in the world.</p><p>"Master! Get away from the device! I'll try to shield you as much as I can!"</p><p>Caster yelled at him to retreat, but he was blocked by Assassin.</p><p>"Is this your doing, Caster? Cease it at once, or I'll kill him!" Brandishing her Secret-Calibur, she raised her sword against Kuzuki.</p><p>"I smell the scent of a Saberface around here as well, so show yourself! It is the destiny of all Sabers to die at my hand, besides those two."</p><p>Kuzuki was unintimidated by Assassin, simply staring at her and evaluating her possible ability as he communicated with Caster.</p><p>"Caster, can you provide the enchantments to me now? I might be able to take her on, if the Assassin class is as weak as you say."</p><p>"Are you sure?"</p><p>"Leave the frontlines to me, like we discussed."</p><p>"Alright, activating enchantments. Around Caliburn."</p><p>A wall of glowing mana formed around Kuzuki, half transparent as it seemed to spin around him. Golden motes rose from the ground into the air around him, then gliding to his body and sinking through the fabric into his flesh. Blue energy seemed to crawl up from the ground into his legs, and his irises slowly turned a shade of blue as he settled in the style of the snake.</p><p>"I'll take that as a no then. Very well, I, Mysterious Heroine X, will face you in combat! May the Star of Saber be with me!"</p><p>*BOOM*</p><p>Her speed was incredible at Agility rank A, the blade breaking the sound barrier to unleash a shock wave of air at Kuzuki even before she arrived.</p><p>*KRAK*</p><p>But with the enchantments enhancing the five senses and his body, he was able to dodge out of the way, and his hands seemed to twist around her blade to deliver a five finger strike at the base of her neck from behind.</p><p>"Kuh!"</p><p>She continued forward instead, her momentum barely allowing her to get just ahead of the strike as she dug one leg into the ground to pivot, her shining blade swinging around to lop off his arm.</p><p>*TONG*</p><p>A clear sound rang through the stairs as a shockwave erupted from the blade as it halted in place.</p><p>Assassin's eyes widened in disbelief.</p><p>Trapped between his upper thigh and elbow, was her blade.</p><p>Further away, Berserker suddenly lifted her head up from the mochi she was eating.</p><p>"Master, let's go."</p><p>"Eh, right now?" Illya was also eating, but she was lifted off her seat with one hand and taken into a princess carry as Berserker took off the moment they went to somewhere deserted.</p><p>"Wait, my black bean ice cream!" Illya's cry of despair echoed in the night as they headed towards Mount Enzou.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Chapter 35</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 35</p><p>Assassin tugged at her sword, trapped between the vice of his left elbow and upper left thigh, but it refused to budge.</p><p>Kuzuki, now bereft of his glasses, glared at her face full of shock.</p><p>"You underestimate me, Assassin!"</p><p>He twisted his whole body and spun while releasing the trapped sword at the same time, the rotation sending Assassin's sword flying in a direction she didn't anticipate it going as she lost her balance and spun with the momentum of the sword.</p><p>Without wasting his chance, he circled around to her back as a blue aura sprang up around his feet, allowing him to reach her blind spot in a flash. One fist hammered down from the back, aimed straight for the spine where it connected to the head. Blue trails of mana leaked from his fist as it traveled through the air.</p><p>*click*</p><p>*zzzuumm*</p><p>Kuzuki stopped his fist midway, and threw himself to the right.</p><p>*PYONG!*</p><p>Several blue portals opened up in the air, discharging huge bolts of energy a second later. Kuzuki barely managed to dodge them as he jumped up the stairs, the laser bolts targeting where he was if he'd continued punching Assassin.</p><p>"Fire Support EX", the ability unique to MHX. Due to a mysterious communication device that she possessed, she was capable of contacting the Dun Stallion to provide supporting bombardment, and this anecdote was sublimated into her Saint Graph as an ability. Bolts of energy would fire from portals supposedly connected to the turbolasers on the Dun Stallion on her command, striking her enemies and turning them to ash. In a one-on-one duel between Sabers, there were no unfair tactics that went unexplored.</p><p>The stairs were severely mauled as craters were blasted into the stone, the trip to the top suddenly becoming much more hazardous. Below the two combatants, Flat looked on in awe as Gray struggled to control Add again, reinstating the various restrictions in place as they threatened to come apart.</p><p>"Hm, you have some interesting abilities."</p><p>Kuzuki stared at her, remarking calmly as he examined his fists, inwardly slightly surprised at how effective the enchantments were.</p><p>"I could say the same for you. While you don't have the look or smell of a Saber, nevertheless you would make a splendid Servant with combat prowess alone."</p><p>MHX had seen his fluid movements and lack of hesitation, the movements directly aimed at the weak spots of the body. Plus, it took an insane amount of skill and confidence to catch a sword like that, especially a sword wielded by a Servant.</p><p>"I assumed all Masters were relegated to a support role, but it seems like there's an exception to every rule. There are also Master's like him, who can fight on the front lines. This War is getting more and more interesting!" Flat exclaimed as he watched the fight. Then Gray pinched his leg, and he went back to helping her fix Add, though their combined efforts still weren't very successful.</p><p>"Pseudo Personality suspending, first seal releasing."</p><p>The birdcage dissolved into mana as Add left, the cube entering a constant state of flux as its shape continually morphed, Rhongomyniad struggling to be released.</p><p>"Ah, Gray-chan, why don't you try bringing it out of Mount Enzou? The increased range might help reduce the effect of whatever Caster is doing."</p><p>Gray got up and ran down the stairs carrying the unstable cube in her hands, but she had only taken a few steps downwards when it shook even more violently as brilliant escaped from cracks appearing in the cube. Hurriedly, she ran back up the stairs, and the glow slightly abated.</p><p>"Looks like that isn't going to work. Caster, can you tell me what kind of spell you cast on Add? We'd like to have him back!"</p><p>Once again, Caster was dumbfounded that he'd ask an enemy a question like that. Still, she quickly regained her wits and answered. Kuzuki listened, then relayed the message to them.</p><p>"She says she's not actively interfering with the device, but that she's also sensed a familiar mana signature ever since the cube started cracking."</p><p>He paused, then added.</p><p>"She also says that if you could tell her what the device is, she might be able to help."</p><p>Assassin spoke while keeping her focus on Kuzuki, wary of any sudden moves from him.</p><p>"Be careful Master, she could be-"</p><p>"I think we should tell her, what do you think?" Flat smiled at Gray, his eyes calm even in the face of imminent danger, even sparkling with signs of mischief.</p><p>"Gray-chan?"</p><p>"Miss Caster! The cube is a Mystic Code designed to seal Rhongomyniad and preserve it's mystery."</p><p>Caster took a moment to digest the information.</p><p>Rhongomyniad? It still existed in this modern age? How was that even possible?</p><p>Then she checked the energy signature being released, just to be sure. It had felt similar earlier, and with Gray's explanation, she confirmed that it was indeed like what she had felt from Rhongomyniad when she was alive.</p><p>"Alright, Master of Assassin. I'll see what I can do. Release the restraints and let me deal with it."</p><p>"R-release the restraints?"</p><p>"Yes, do it quickly, or else we'll get blown up by the holy spear."</p><p>Kuzuki relayed her words as Gray internally struggled whether to do it for a moment. After all, releasing the restraints meant at least partially manifesting Rhongomyniad, and with its energy running wild like that, who knew what would happen.</p><p>But she hadn't really attacked them so far, and even her Master had only defended himself from being attacked as well. Also, her gut told her to trust her.</p><p>Lifting the cube, she spoke the incantation.</p><p>"Gray...Rave...Crave...Deprave."</p><p>The cube stopped shaking so much as the parts composing the cube loosened, floating and expanding from its former cube shape to allow more light to pour through. It flew into the air just above Gray's head, her hand guiding it as rose up.</p><p>"Grave me."</p><p>The cube fully released, disappearing into thin air as the winds whipped around the newly formed golden tower of light that stretched into a cone reaching far above the trees of the surrounding forest around the stairs. Motes of golden light scattered as two bands of light swirled around the center like a double helix, a constant deep humming permeating the ground. Like moths to a flame, everyone had their eyes riveted by the sight of a mystery that should not exist on the Earth. Despite having seen it before, Flat was entranced by it all the same, looking at it with a small grin as he admired a relic of the past that still protected the world to this day. Kuzuki stared at it as well, but his heart remained unmoved, simply staring at it like he would the sun or the ocean.</p><p>Gray refrained from saying the final phrase, keeping the holy spear locked in this state, something she'd never done before. Caster immediately began analysing the area with her senses, her staff planted in the ground as the sapphire crystal at the top glowed, checking what was reacting with the spear.</p><p>Accessing her Noble Phantasm that was covering the entire area, she immediately discovered the problem. The holy spear was resonating with it, her Noble Phantasm drawing out the power of the holy spear as it called upon its duty to keep the Fabric of the World fastened in place, something that it had failed to do in her timeline. Hence, she required her Noble Phantasm, something to defend against the apocalypse that had fallen on her world after the tower had fallen, when Avalon invaded Britain.</p><p>In this case, her Noble Phantasm in order to fulfill its role of protecting the humans as it was supposed to, was boosting the power of Rhongomyniad so it could fulfill its purpose. However, Rhongomyniad in this world was functioning normally, so its power was running wild with the boost it was receiving. In particular, her Noble Phantasm was currently connected to a ley line, so it wasn't stopping anytime soon. The only way to stop it would be to investigate her own Noble Phantasm while also scanning Rhongomyniad and manually cut the energy flows connected to it. As earlier she had imprinted her Noble Phantasm on the ley line, even though she completely deactivated it, the ley line would still continue shoving energy into the spear. If Gray tried to physically leave, the Noble Phantasm would direct more energy the further away she tried to get, speeding up the instability of the spear as it threatened to release all the energy once it was saturated.</p><p>"Gray, keep it in this state. I'll synchronize with it until I can cut off the flow of mana."</p><p>With that, she began concentrating as she sunk into a deep trance, following the mana pathways that flowed through the ley lines, and the shining object that was tied to many of these glowing threads.</p><p>Meanwhile, Gray was sweating constantly, her face flushing red as she struggled to maintain it in it's released state. The raw mystery contained in the spear was starting to eat into her body, the strain of keeping it released taxing her body greatly. Even if she was the flesh of King Arthur, there were still limits to how far she could go, and keeping one of the most powerful mystics in the world constantly released was making her rapidly approach that limit.</p><p>Suddenly, she felt two hands on her back supporting her as mana flowed through them, pumping into her body to reinforce her and warding off the mystery seeping into her from the spear.</p><p>"Flat!"</p><p>"Don't worry Gray-chan. You have a reliable Senpai to support here!"</p><p>Flat winked at her from behind as he supported her by strengthening her body and shielding her as much as he could from the power released by the spear.</p><p>At the top of the stairs, Assassin bit her lip, frustrated that she couldn't do anything, while Kuzuki watched everything without a single change in his expression.</p><p>*Vuon...Vuon*</p><p>A new sound appeared from the bottom of the stairs, a strange humming sound echoing up to the top of the stairs. Striding into the pool of light shining from the lamplight at the foot of the stairs, a dark marauder walked into view.</p><p>Holding a red double-bladed lightsaber, dressed in a black bodysuit with red and silver armor, molten yellow eyes gleaming under the light, was Berserker. Standing slightly behind her, mouth still stained with flecks of melted ice cream, was Illya.</p><p>Flat craned his head to look behind him, while Gray remained still, unable to split her attention away from sustaining Rhongomyniad's current form. Kuzuki also turned his attention to the newcomers, his body loose and limber as he prepared for any sudden attacks.</p><p>Then Berserker spotted Assassin at the top of the stairs, and Assassin turned around at the same time to see her face.</p><p>"Ecchan…?"</p><p>"MHX…"</p><p>Berserker had felt a familiar mana signature, but she hadn't expected it to really be her.</p><p>"Ecchan, you're here as well! It's sooo good to see you again!"</p><p>Assassin rushed down the stairs at Berserker, Kuzuki completely forgotten as she dashed past Gray and Flat, arms wide open to hug her best friend.</p><p>*whump*</p><p>Berserker managed to not topple over and crush Illya under the combined weight of Berserker and Assassin as the girl dove at Berserker, arms wrapped tightly around her.</p><p>"It's been so long since the last time we met! Ever since the Dun Stallion got wrecked, I traveled the galaxy, and then I went on a journey with that guy from Chaldea to save the universe from the Goddess of Origin, went on a trip to the depths of a dead planet, took part in the race across the stars and-"</p><p>"X-chan, we're still in a Holy Grail War you know."</p><p>Berserker was blushing slightly at her open affection, but she pushed her away with some effort, her lightsaber deactivated to avoid accidentally spearing her.</p><p>"Oh, you're right. But still, why don't we catch up some time? We can go kill Sabers together!" The prospect of doing that was quite attractive to Berserker, and she turned around to ask Illya.</p><p>"Master, why don't we form an alliance with them?"</p><p>"Good idea, then we can fight together Ecchan!"</p><p>Illya stared at her Servant, surprised they'd somehow managed to find a Servant who actually came from the same universe as her. What were the odds? Still, it seemed like they had a chance for an alliance, but she didn't really feel like making one though. Berserker was already quite strong by herself, and she enjoyed crushing enemies with only her own Servant.</p><p>Then she refocused on the glowing pillar of light shining on the stairs above them.</p><p>"Wait, what's that?"</p><p>Her eyes narrowed as she sensed the absurd amount of mana pouring off the tower, something that should not exist in the Age of Man.</p><p>"It's Rhongomyniad!"</p><p>Despite his efforts with helping Gray, he still managed to find the energy to hear and reply to Illya's question.</p><p>Illya stared at him, wondering whether to believe him or not. Rhongomyniad? The spear of King Arthur? Then she looked at her own Servant. If Servants wielding lightsabers could exist, she supposed the spear being able to survive to the present day wasn't too far fetched.</p><p>Still, if that really was Rhonogmyniad, and it was in the hands of the enemy Master, then it posed a huge threat to her. A Mystical relic of the highest degree that could wipe out even Servants easily. It would be convenient for her to take care of it right here and now.</p><p>"Berserker, get ready. We're going to take out the girl over there carrying Rhongomyniad."</p><p>Flat panicked, yelling at her.</p><p>"Wait, if you kill her right now, it'll go out of control and blow up the whole place!"</p><p>Illya shook her head.</p><p>"I have Berserker to protect me in case something like that happens. You should worry about yourself instead."</p><p>Berserker stopped chatting with Assassin and pressed the activation button on her Necrocalibur, the red beam of light spitting out of the emitter as the blade extended to it's full length.</p><p>Assassin also rematerialized her sword, sensing that combat was going to be inevitable.</p><p>"Sorry Ecchan, but I can't let you harm my Master."</p><p>She stepped in front of Flat and Gray, ready to defend them at a moment's notice.</p><p>"Don't worry X-chan, I'll go easy on you and leave you alive so you can form a contract with my Master later after I kill that girl." Her face remained emotionless, but her words carried a hard edge.</p><p>"Getting cocky are we? I seem to remember in the last fight we had, I won."</p><p>"No, I did."</p><p>"You didn't! I managed to shave off your bun at the end, so it was clearly me."</p><p>"You slid on the empty bags of chips and accidentally cut it."</p><p>"It was all planned, all planned!"</p><p>"Enough talk. Let me measure your skill with my sword. May the Saber Star be with me."</p><p>In a flash, she burst up the stairs, skimming past the steps without even touching a single one of them as her momentum carried her all the way past several flights to Assassin.</p><p>Three meters.</p><p>Her lightsaber crackled with electricity as she prepared to strike, her right arm pulling back.</p><p>Two meters.</p><p>Assassin braced her legs on the ground, sword held in front of her to block the blow.</p><p>One meter.</p><p>Berserker already started to swing, planning to hit her with the added rotation of her body to strike again as she spun.</p><p>*SWISH*</p><p>A palm cut through the air at superhuman speeds, blue light trailing behind it as it homed in straight on Berserker's hand, aiming for her wrist to disarm her. In a flash, she increased the amount of electricity around her arm to ward off the attack, threatening to shock the hand that was descending on it. Yet, a translucent barrier coated the hand and blocked the energy, allowing him to hammer all five fingers straight into her wrist and forcing her blow to go wide, providing Assassin with the perfect opening.</p><p>"Oy!"</p><p>She was slightly annoyed that someone had landed the first blow on her friend ahead of her, but she was willing to utilize any and all tactics to achieve victory, so her body automatically followed through by stabbing at Berserker's head.</p><p>Without delay, she twisted her head, letting the blade pass her face as it drew a shallow line across her right cheek, then twisted an arm behind and grabbed the palm that was about to strike her spine and paralyze her for good. Despite the fact that it possessed a barrier, the palm could still be slowed with her telekinesis, giving her enough time to react and grab it.</p><p>Swiftly, she utilized the momentum of her charge to spin, flipping the owner of the body and slamming him into the ground.</p><p>*BOOM*</p><p>"Kuh."</p><p>Kuzuki smashed into the ground, Caster's barrier around him protecting his body from the worst of it, but he still felt the impact rattle his body.</p><p>Berserker released him and dashed backwards to avoid Assassin's blade that swung towards her, then deflected several laser bolts shot from behind her and retreated back to the bottom in one leap.</p><p>Pushing himself back to his feet, he brushed off the dust and debris off his suit as he stood next to Assassin.</p><p>"Caster instructed me to provide assistance to you to prevent the ritual from being disturbed."</p><p>Assassin shrugged.</p><p>"Sure, let's fight together. You're not a Saber anyways, so it's fine."</p><p>She paused.</p><p>"Don't blame if you accidentally get in the way of my swings though."</p><p>Kuzuki replied calmly.</p><p>"Be careful not to get too close to me either. I might accidentally strike you on instinct."</p><p>Below, Berserker gathered mana, crimson electricity now crackling all over her as red mana blazed from her body in visible waves. She crouched down, her left hand reaching down to brace against the ground as her saberstaff in her right hand moved back, the leaves around her body scattering from the wind blowing off her caused by the release of mana.</p><p>"Get ready."</p><p>Assassin lifted her sword again as her muffler fluttered with the artificial wind, her ahoge somehow remaining dead still. Her blade started glowing golden, it's true nature peeking through. Beside her, Kuzuki raised his hands as his feet shifted apart, blue mana coating his entire body as the air rippled around him. His legs tensed as the muscles bulged, prepared to charge forward.</p><p>A moment of silence passed, the leaves brushing against each other in the wind as clouds passed in front of the moon, leaving only a single shaft of moonlight to shine between the three. The golden glow of Rhongomyniad bathed the darkness with light, Kuzuki's hair and the gold lining of Assassins jacket sparked as golden motes of light drifted through the sky, with only Berserker's molten eyes clearly visible below them, her armor slightly reflecting a paltry amount of light.</p><p>Then the cloud passed, and the moon lit up the stairs once more.</p><p>"ORRAAAH!"</p><p>*KABO-BBOOOM*</p><p>Three simultaneous explosions resounded in the air as shockwaves clashed against each other, the trees next to the stairs bending and creaking. The steps and landings were nigh obliterated, as all three used the ground to provide maximum leverage for their charge. Assassin leapt high into the sky, while Kuzuki ran across the steps to meet Berserker who was similarly charging forward to meet him. All three met in a tumultuous clash that shook the earth, rattling the teeth of Illya, Flat and Gray.</p><p>Inside the guest room, Caster knelt on the ground, holding the staff with both hands as her head bowed forward, severing the connections between her Noble Phantasm and Rhongomyniad one by one. She could hear the explosions occurring outside, but she couldn't lift a finger to help them. All she could do was pray that the blessings laid on Kuzuki and the passively running effect of her Noble Phantasm on him worked. Until she finished solving the problem of Rhongomyniad exploding on them, she wouldn't be able to do anything more.</p><p>"Master, please, don't die!"</p>
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<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Chapter 36</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 36</p><p>*THOOM, THOOM-THOOM*</p><p>Swerving and spinning away from the crimson blades of Berserker, Kuzuki sent his hands whirling through the gaps in her defense to strike her, each blow carrying the force of over ten humans combined. With the augmentations granted to him by Caster, one could call his fists iron clubs, capable of crushing even steel.</p><p>Raised from birth as the perfect assassin, Souichirou Kuzuki was the master of the fighting style called "Snake". A style that targeted the weak points of the body, with each blow fatal. The style required him to keep his arms as flexible as ropes to allow him to strike from unexpected right angles, a formless style that was difficult for the opponent to grasp. While holding his stance, he was like a steady rock, unreadable and unassailable. Yet once the opportunity showed itself, he would move into striking range without alerting the enemy, and swiftly striking with either his fist or his "mountain-like" fingers, the serpent's fangs. If the blow was still somehow anticipated, like with Berserker's Instinct, he could still change course midway and use "the body of the serpent", his elbow, to strike.</p><p>*SCHWIP*</p><p>"Guh!"</p><p>The fingers that had originally been aiming for her windpipe was deflected by the blade that threatened to cauterize his fingers, but his elbow suddenly diverted from its original course as he twisted his body as well, the reinforced bone of his elbow striking her shoulder blades.</p><p>Her left hand reached backwards as electricity gathered in her palm to fire at Kuzuki, the red lightning reaching him before he had a chance to react.</p><p>"Hng."</p><p>He stumbled backwards, even with the shields of Caster dulling the shock, but his natural breathing and deeply instilled training allowed him to recover in an instant, quickly returning to peak mental condition.</p><p>Berserker tried to press the advantage against Kuzuki, but the humming golden blade of Assassin prevented her from doing so.</p><p>*Vuo-BZZRKKK*</p><p>The two energy blades clashed against each other, one golden and one red, trails of light flowing from each blade as the crimson and gold weaved intricate patterns into the air, the speed they were going at making more and more light trails stack with each other until it was actually difficult for them to see each other through the trails.</p><p>Assassin disengaged, leaping back up as she swung her blade with force, knocking aside Berserker's blade, then reached into her jersey to press the calling device.</p><p>*Ching*</p><p>Multiple portals opened in the air, blue saucers that formed a dome in the air above Berserker.</p><p>She raised her saberstaff and charged it with mana, red mana shooting out of it as the blade grew even brighter.</p><p>Then the hail of laser fire came raining down on her.</p><p>"SEI!"</p><p>The double bladed lightsaber spun with grace and speed, the two blades keeping death at bay as she twirled and dodged amidst the rain of fiery death. Holes were blasted into the floor as stone melted and sloughed, ozone filling the air. Ducking under one bolt, she spun in place as she jumped while arching her back, switching hands after deflecting one to her left for it to twirl the saberstaff and deflect two more above her, before doing a handstand and somersaulting away from the rest, tucking into a roll at the end to avoid the horizontal portals that shot the air right above her, grazing her cape.</p><p>She barely had any time to get back up before the heavy blows of Kuzuki descended on her, rapidly striking one after the other. Gritting her teeth, she immediately tried to dodge the fists coming at her, but it was in vain. Like a living snake, his arms changed paths the instant she shifted her body to dodge, the blows "biting" her body and numbing her mind with pain. Without a doubt, if he managed to land a surprise attack on the opponent and it was their first match, he would be able to win. Without landing a single decisive strike, he slowly whittled down Berserker with the poison of pain packed in his fists, her body and movements growing duller and duller as she was repeatedly struck all over despite being able to dodge the crucial blows that would defeat her.</p><p>Yet, Kuzuki wasn't unscathed either. His body was minutely trembling from all the shocks he had received, scorch marks on various places all over his suit. His movements had also gradually slowed down, numbness and tingling through several muscles hampering his movements, but Berserker's numerous injuries from his blows helped even the field for him, allowing him to continue striking her even with his injuries.</p><p>Berserker was unsettled by the fact that a human could actually match her blow for blow, her strikes barely scratching him at all. This was also in part due to the Protection of Fae cast by Caster, the fate manipulation inherent in the blessing granting luck which, coupled with his own training, allowed him to avoid the lightsaber by a hair each time. In addition, the close range they fought at nullified some of the advantages the saberstaff gave her, forcing her to fight on Kuzuki's terms as his fists packed more power at the range they fought at, with her saberstaff unable to complete the full swing for maximum power due to how close he was.</p><p>But she had fought many enemies through her time in the Servant Universe, from eldritch horrors to swashbuckling space pirates that possessed whole armadas, and she didn't once seriously consider that she would lose. Instead, she quietly bided her time, waiting for his final strike to come.</p><p>Assassin stood above them, watching the two battle. On the one hand, she was allied with Kuzuki to help protect Gray. On the other, Berserker was her best friend, and no one else was allowed to defeat Ecchan besides her. Clutching her Secretcalibur, her ahoge trembled as she watched the fight, her blue muffler fluttering in the wind caused by their shockwaves.</p><p>She could help Kuzuki and fight Berserker with him, but they were both unfamiliar with each other's combat styles, and would likely hinder each other instead of effectively combating Berserker, especially with Kuzuki's strange "Snake" style. Hence, she chose to remain at the back as to reinforce him when he fell, using a tag team tactic to allow both of them to fight to their full potential without holding each other back.</p><p>Berserker's movements gradually reached the point where her bruised muscles swelling hindered her speed significantly, the pain radiating from half a dozen non-vital spots on her body hamstringing her ability. Her muscles swelling prevented fluid transitions, no longer able to jump and spin like before. Her grip on the saberstaff gradually loosened, the rate they were spinning at slowing down until Illya could almost keep track of them with lightly reinforced eyes.</p><p>Her eyes started flickering back and forth between Kuzuki's fists and body, a hint of panic entering them as she relied more and more on her instinct to dodge every consecutive blow. For Kuzuki, the critical moment was getting closer and closer.</p><p>*schwick*</p><p>Momentarily, her saberstaff went wide as it slipped slightly in her grasp, cutting the air instead of towards Kuzuki's arm. Her eyes widened in surprise as his fingers suddenly entered her entire field of vision, about to gouge her eyes out. Without hesitation, she threw her saberstaff at him with a wild, unpredictable spin. Instead of dodging, he reached out and grasped the saberstaff, perfectly predicting where the handle would be, and redirected it behind him. In that same moment, he stepped forward without any warning signs, instantly entering into her space as his arm reached forward like a lance, seeking to strike her temple and crush it in one blow.</p><p>The moment stretched for what seemed like hours as his hand slowly pierced through the air, generating a mini-tornado around his arm at the speeds it was going, the winds warping the light around his hand until it was blurry, blue mana streaks hovering next to his arm. It crossed the distance as it got faster and faster, accelerating towards her temple like a missile.</p><p>But it missed.</p><p>*vuon-vuon-vuON-VUON*</p><p>"HAH!"</p><p>Berserker ducked right under the fist, skimming past the length of the arm to get close to Kuzuki as two fists crackling with electricity came shooting at him from her sides. At the same time, her saberstaff suddenly switched directions like a magnet and came flying back at him from behind, trapping him.</p><p>She had used her telekinesis to pull Kuzuki's fist forward, the amount of strength behind the blow leaving him unable to redirect it as it was pulled forward with even more force. He could only harden his arm and tense his muscles to stop himself from being pulled forward. But this locked his arms in place and made it rigid, effectively destroying his style as he became unable to follow up with an unpredictable attack, allowing Berserker to close in on him.</p><p>"No!"</p><p>Assassin moved forwards once she saw the lightsaber change course, but it was ready too late, the sword moving faster than she could catch up to it. Desperately, she reached into her pocket to activate the cannons, but the bombardment was unable to hit such a small target moving so fast and erratically.</p><p>Acting quickly, he threw a kick that snaked through the air to her ribs, aiming to throw her back before her fists reached him.</p><p>*CRACK*</p><p>"Guh!"</p><p>His eyes widening in pain, his face turned a shade pale as his right knee was crushed by Berserker's left foot planting itself on his leg, her instinct allowing her to predict it and capitalize on it, essentially using his own kick against him. The force of her energy and his momentum combined pierced through, cracking the bone and ligaments while tearing the flesh surrounding the area as well, blood almost instantly flooding the area as veins were pierced by the internal bone fragments.</p><p>Without pausing, her fists hammered into his body as electricity entered through the fabric and coursing into his naked flesh, the energy stimulating thousands of nerves throughout his body as scorched flesh appeared on the areas of contact from the discharge. However, that wasn't the end.</p><p>Even as his body shook uncontrollably, his muscles spasming and twitching, her right leg sank into his stomach using her left foot still standing on top of his knee as leverage, dealing further damage to his knee and stomach simultaneously. Spittle flew out of his mouth as vomited out bile, two droplets of water appearing in the corners of his eyes on pure reflex. His eyes bulged comically, a gurgling noise emitting from his throat from the four blows dealt to him by Berserker's four limbs.</p><p>Then the saber staff reached him, slicing off his left arm at the elbow as the stink of cauterized flesh filled the air, the lifeless flesh dropping to the floor as steam trailed from the charred end.</p><p>*BANG*</p><p>He flew into the stairs with the force of Berserker's punches and kicks, knocked unconscious the instant he hit the stairs as blood trailed from his mouth and the numerous scratches caused by the impact. His suit was now torn up and bloody, his left leg bent at the knee to an inhuman angle as his head lolled to the side, hair in disarray. Intermittently, certain muscles spasmed unconsciously as an after effect of the heavy shock he just received.</p><p>Despite all the punishment he had just received, he was still breathing, albeit barely. Flat could tell from the slight rise-and-fall of his chest, even as he supported Gray with his magecraft. At this point, Gray was kneeling on the stone steps, body trembling in exertion as the burden of keeping Rhongomyniad in it's released state burst her blood vessels and heated her up to an abnormal degree, her entire body flushed and sweaty in spite of the winter chill.</p><p>Inside the temple, Caster sensed her Master pass out, and worry filled her heart. Yet, she was powerless to do anything, and could only trust Assassin, the killer of her former Master, to protect Kuzuki because Caster was the only one who could prevent Rhongomyniad from running haywire and killing Gray.</p><p>Assassin wordlessly stepped forward, taking her place in front of her fallen ally as she readied her sword.</p><p>"You fought well for a non-Saber, human. Now's it's my turn to protect our Masters."</p><p>Her emerald eyes gleamed with determination as the golden sword emitted a brighter glow, mana swirling around it as her ahoge seemed to straighten, pointing straight at Berserker.</p><p>"Ecchan, I won't hold back against you."</p><p>Berserker stared at her new opponent as she shook off the pain and fatigue from her previous fight, her saberstaff now back in her hands as red mana burst out from her body, prepared to fight once more.</p><p>"Neither will I."</p><p>Raising her saberstaff, she flicked it downwards with a flourish, indicating her readiness to do combat.</p><p>"May the Star of Saber watch over and protect me. / May the Saber Star give me strength to crush my enemy."</p><p>With those words, they dashed towards each other, clashing on the steps of the temple as the second battle of the night unfolded beneath the starless sky.</p>
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<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Chapter 37</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 37</p><p>A myriad of lights writhed in the dark as the two glowing swords sought out each other, the blades going high and low, from the left to the right and vice versa. Diagonal slashes followed up with vertical strikes and then a stab, while both sides also used kicks and punches whenever the opportunity presented itself.</p><p>Assassin used her superior agility to dodge her blows and get in close to Berserker as her dual blades interfered in close range combat, but a mix of lightning and telekinesis prevented Assassin from getting to the desired distance.</p><p>At the same time, Berserker used her strength to land heavy blows that were unblockable by Assassin, using the torque of her entire body to strike, with only Assassin's speed saving her from getting bisected.</p><p>Slowly, the stone beneath their feet crumbed from the sheer force they were traveling at, each step packing enough strength to pierce through the hood of the car and straight past the engine without difficulty. Pieces of stone were sent flying everywhere as Flat endured the pelting to shield Gray, while Illya called up her familiars with strands of hair, forming a shield of white wires to repel the debris. The shards of the stone stairs flew through the air to impact Kuzuki's face as well, the pain eliciting a slight reaction from him as a small groan escaped his lips.</p><p>Two Servants hailing from another universe pitted against one another in the Holy Grail War, putting their friendship to the side as their loyalty to their Master compelled them to fight each other. Also, they had fought against each other since the first meeting they had at Cosmo Chaldea Academy, so it wasn't something they were against either.</p><p>By this point, they both knew each other's moves and strategies by heart, having fought against and besides each other for years. They had been both partners and enemies, with no other Servant pair in this War having a greater synergy than the two of them. It was no great stretch to say that if the two teamed up with each other, victory was well within their grasp.</p><p>But when fighting against each other, it resulted in a stalemate that slightly tipped in the favour of MHX for her innate conceptual nature.</p><p>For MHX, she was made from stimulating Artoria genes to create a weapon of mass murder that would eradicate all Artoria-type Servants. Thus, her entire being became a Conceptual Weapon that "killed Saberfaces", every action against Saberfaces acquiring multiplied levels of potency.</p><p>In contrast, MHX Alter was made from the X factor extracted from MHX and forbidden magic, turning her into an inferior base copy that required strengthening with the Altreactor to match MHX, as well as other bodily augmentations. The original concept implanted in MHX became diluted in her Alter counterpart, resulting in Alter becoming a Conceptual Weapon that "killed Saber-class Servants". This was an important distinction in this particular battle, and the deciding factor between their strength.</p><p>While both were Saberfaces, neither of them was a Saber. Hence, Assassin gained an edge against Berserker that she was unable to match, each blow dealing more damage to Berserker than Berserker did to her as shallow scratches became deep cuts, a punch that should have only made a bruise almost shattering her bones when it landed. The damage amplification was almost a cheat-like ability in this particular War as well, although her own parameters weren't increased in any way. However, there were still ways to get around this skill, such as dodging every blow. If she couldn't hit the enemy, there was no damage to be magnified, as zero times any number still equalled zero.</p><p>Against Berserker though, her superior speed allowed her to land light hits that were boosted through her Conceptual Weight, Berserker's trait as a Saberface proving to be detrimental to her in this duel.</p><p>Soon, she was bleeding from numerous cuts littered all over her body, the blood dripping on to the floor as the injuries sapped her strength, her body aching dully as even a light graze shook her entire body. Furthermore, even the heat radiating off of Sabers blade scorched her skin as it grazed past, close misses still inflicting damage on her. Assassin was also able to switch off the plasma that coated the blade when she physically cut Berserker, to avoid cauterizing the wound that would keep her from bleeding. Even the light from the blade stabbed at her eyes, making it difficult to keep track of Assassin's movements when it glowed, especially at night with her boosted optic nerves.</p><p>It was true that Berserker's familiarity with Assassin's moves and her thinking saved her from being defeated in one go, but it also gave Assassin the chance to inflict many small wounds that became more and more deadly as the fight dragged on, like a "poison" that degraded Berserker's abilities by bleeding her out. While she had a higher rank of endurance than Assassin along with her Mad Enhancement that allowed her to tank the damage she was taking, it had its limits. Unless she suddenly acquired Battle Continuation, she would fall in the near future.</p><p>In short, Berserker was increasingly doomed the longer the fight dragged on.</p><p>A battle of endurance between two foes that deeply understood each other, from their favourite moves down to their psyches, and one had an undeniable advantage over the other.</p><p>Seeing her sword shift to the right, swinging horizontally, Berserker could tell it was a feint from her years of experience with her, shifting her legs to hurtle towards the sword as she pointed the tip of her saberstaff straight her wrist, waiting for the moment it transitioned into an upwards slash towards her head. Seeing her ready to counter, Assassin instead exchanged hands and struck with her left, but Berserker's palm was raised with electricity shooting towards Assassin, forcing her to block.</p><p>A sweeping kick aimed at knocking Berserker off balance was reversed as a telekinetic grasp grabbed Assassin's throat, choking her as the flesh around her neck sank into a depression in the shape of a hand, before she flared her glowing sword to its maximum brightness.</p><p>"Gah!"</p><p>Berserker instinctively shielded her eyes with her arm, breaking off her hold on Assassin and allowing her to escape, wheezing as she greedily breathed in fresh air. Not letting up, Berserker leaped forward even as her eyes struggled to blink out the dark spots in her vision, the laser bolts that Assassin fired at her barely missing as they struck where she was originally standing. With no time to waste, Assassin raised her blade to block Berserker's wild charge, stray electricity arcing into the surroundings as it struck patches of grass and trees around the area, igniting small patches of flames that if left unchecked, would grow into a blaze that would consume the forest.</p><p>Berserker slashed at Assassin three times in quick succession, both blades meeting Secretcalibur as she spun the handle to allow a swift consecutive attack, forcing Assassin to retreat until she was standing in front of Kuzuki's body.</p><p>Without warning, Berserker dashed to the left and right, her blade scoring deep cuts in the trees on both sides of the stairs. Running past Assassin through the trees, she circled all around the spot she was standing at, even passing Gray and Flat, crossing to the opposite side, then cutting the trees there. She dashed back down to her starting point, deactivated Necrocalibur, and raised both hands, each hand reaching to the left and right. Her open palms faced forward, arms straight at a right angle with her body. Then her hands closed into fists as they crossed into an X over her chest.</p><p>*sprrrk-krsh*</p><p>The trees that had been cut each slowly bent forward, the shove she gave them sufficient to make them topple over the stairs. The trees on either side wouldn't collide with each other as well, since she had made sure to cut in alternating patterns.</p><p>"Damn it!"</p><p>Assassin leaped into the sky to slice the trees to pieces, dashing from one trunk to the next as she leaped between them, cutting them into harmless chunks to avoid them crashing into Gray, Flat and Kuzuki. Even though Rhongomiant disintegrated the top of the trees falling down on Gray, the trunks also rolled down the stairs carried by their weight. Wood chips and bark flew into the air as Assassin turned into a one man army of lumberjacks, destroying the trees as her golden blade cut through each trunk like butter.</p><p>*WHOOSH!*</p><p>Just the wood splinters and dust in the air was ignited as crimson electricity hopped through the air, zig zagging between chunks of wood and splinter to ignite the very air itself, suffused with flammable wood dust from the sheer amount of wood chopped as Assassin made sure to turn it all into splinters no bigger than her thumb, her transcendent speed and skill allowing her to do so, as well as a heavy amount of supporting bombardment.</p><p>The world above Gray and Flat turned into a firestorm as the air caught fire, Assassin trapped in the wide area as heat licked her jersey and tore holes in the cloth. In a matter of seconds, she suffered severe third-degree burns that heavily crippled her body, before she finally dematerialized to avoid further injury. Over several dozen portals appeared around Gray, Flat and Kuzuki as they formed a dome around them, protecting them from the immense heat of the flames as Assassin had spent the seconds bathed in the flames to activate several layers of blue portals around them, using her skill Fire Support in a defensive manner.</p><p>The surroundings turned into a sea of flames as the heat in the air sparked more flames on the ground, chunks of wood on the side that Assassin left alone and caught aflame in the explosion of fire and hitting the ground to spread it in the forest. The dry wood and grass easily caught alight, the area now bathed in an eerie red glow as smoke rose into the sky, Flat now casting purification magecraft in a dome around him and Gray as he hooked a leg around Kuzuki's shoulder to pull him in, keeping a hand on Gray's back to continue reinforcing her. Below, Illya gazed at the flames impassively, her white hair tinted red.</p><p>Assassin reappeared a few flights above Berserker, her jersey now sporting several holes as melted flesh peaked through, red and black spots of uneven flesh exposed beneath the skin, with one particularly bad one on her back exposing the pure white tissue deep below her skin. Her muffler was shortened by half, and her body trembled in pain, her left arm unable to properly grip her sword with the area at the elbow, the nerves and blood vessels destroyed there as black and red lined the yellowish white area. The areas with the most damage were painless however, because the nerve endings there were lost to the flames. Somehow, her baseball cap was untouched, the ahoge the same as ever, despite the fact that almost every other part of her clothing was singed, scorched, or in the case of her boots, half-melted.</p><p>*tup, tup, tup*</p><p>Striding through the flames towards her, was a dark warrior of the Alter side.</p><p>The smoke coiled around her body as her hood was back up, the pale face and yellow eyes reflecting the orange light of the flames. Electricity crackled menacingly around her, the hum of her lightsaber audible over the crackling flames in the background. Even with the numerous wounds inflicted on her earlier, her steps were steady and sure, her stance betraying no signs of weakness.</p><p>On the other hand, Assassin stood leaning to the right, her left leg pressing on the ground as lightly as possible. Her right hand held Secretcalibur loosely, her half burnt muffles covered in ash and soot as the wind of heat convection blew them towards her body. In spite of her injuries, her eyes stared down at Berserker, her ahoge standing proud above her forehead.</p><p>The tables were now evened once again, both sides weakened with various injuries.</p><p>*Nyong-NYYYYOOoong*</p><p>The golden tower of light gradually shrank, metal pieces flying up to cover it once it turned into a brightly glowing spark of light. The scraps of metal assembled into recognizable patterns, the cube known as Add appearing once more before their eyes. The cube hovered in the air for a moment, then descended downwards before dropping into Gray's trembling, exhausted hands.</p><p>Gray managed to tuck back into the birdcage, before she collapsed in Flat's arms, utterly fatigued from her ordeal. Rhongomyniad was a Mystic Code of immense power, and not meant to be casually used. To be able to hold it in it's released form for so long was a feat worthy of heroes of old, and for Gray to do so was even more remarkable, even if she did have outside assistance.</p><p>Caster stood back up from her trance, holding her staff tightly as the crystal began to glow once more, bathing the room in blue light, the sash and feathers fluttering with an imaginary wind, her blonde hair lifting as well.</p><p>"Around Caliburn."</p><p>The energy siphoned from the ley line rushed into her Magic Circuits before being funneled towards her Noble Phantasm.</p><p>Pink petals.</p><p>Those were the first things that he saw as one drifted past him to rest on Gray's face, laid down on the stone floor to rest with his lap as a pillow. Looking up, he saw many more drifting lazily in the air, untouched by the flames and smoke. Wherever they fell, the flames extinguished, not even leaving behind a trail of smoke. The air turned fresh no longer choked by smoke and haze as the visibility increased, a new scent trickling into the air.</p><p>Breathing in the cleansed air, he felt purified, the fatigue leaving his body as energy flushed back into his system, his mind clear and his body energetic. It felt like he could run a marathon and play a match of chess with his tutor at the same time. In his lap, Gray stirred awake, revived by the energy knitting her body back together after the damage taken from overexerting herself.</p><p>Kuzuki didn't awaken, but gradually his body's bruises and cuts shrank as the bleeding stopped, the blood coagulating. Bone slowly settled into place as fragments were ejected out of his shattered knee, his stomach sealing up the internal bleeding as more blood flowed out of his orifices to empty the blood in various parts of his body from internal injuries.</p><p>Assassin, the sole combatant on their side still standing, felt her ahoge stand straight up as golden rhombuses arranged in patterns of four surrounded her in a circle, glowing brightly before fading away. Light and mana burst out of her as wind circled her, energy coursing through her entire body as her sword hand steadied, her back straight again. Strength entered her in large amounts, yet it somehow was pleasant, like a soothing massage that nursed her muscles back into peak condition.</p><p>Below the four, Berserker stared indifferently as Illya witnessed the Noble Phantasm with widened eyes. Berserker noted a pearly gray sheen covering all of their bodies, almost invisible to the eye unless you had augmented vision like hers.</p><p>Caster focused even more, calling forth every blessing at her disposal.</p><p>Blue light shone around their bodies as golden motes fell from the sky like snow, bathing their bodies in the enchantments of Caster as their fate became aligned with hers, granting the protection accorded to those that walked besides her. Charisma of Hope, Blessing of the Lake, Sword of Selection, Around Caliburn. Each and every one of them reached her allies and pushed them past their limits, strengthening them to reach their full potential, and even go beyond it.</p><p>Assassin calmly faced Berserker, spreading her arms in a show of confidence.</p><p>"It's over Berserker. I have the high ground."</p><p>Berserker stood still for a moment after the shower of blessings ended, then leapt up in one massive bound to reach right in front of Assassin.</p><p>*BOOM*</p><p>The next instant, she was sent flying back down, crashing straight into the stone tiles at the bottom and tumbling down to land in a heap at Illya's feet.</p><p>"E-Ecchan!"</p><p>Illya stared in horror at her Servant, unable to believe was pushed back so easily. Shakily, she stood back up, the injuries from earlier already taking their toll on her as the steps all the way down to Illya were stained with her blood from the open wounds.</p><p>Berserker had swung her sword at Assassin, with the blue Servant not reacting at all, only for her plasma blades to skate across her bare skin, as if there was an invisible shield surrounding her, the point of contact flashing grey white for a moment, before she felt a palm on her chest, looking down to see Assassin's injured left arm before being pushed down with tremendous strength, completely unlike the power she had displayed before.</p><p>"Master, looks like it's time for us to get serious."</p><p>Illya stared at her before nodding, her eyes resolute.</p><p>"Leave the mana to me Ecchan. With the Grail supporting you now, you can release your Noble Phantasm as much as you want."</p><p>Berserker nodded slightly, her eyes never leaving Assassin.</p><p>*Scrrrrrcch!*</p><p>A car screeched to halt behind them, a man with long shiny black hair jumping out of the red Aston Martin.</p><p>"Flat, Gray, are you there!"</p><p>Seeing his panicked teacher worry about them so much to personally come despite the danger, he smiled and waved at him from above.</p><p>"We're fine, don't worry! We just saw an awesome battle that was seriously cool!"</p><p>Everyone still conscious in the vicinity started to suspect his sanity, wondering if he'd realized he'd almost died several times just now, except for El-Melloi, who already knew he didn't have a lick of sense.</p><p>He spotted Gray lying on the floor as well.</p><p>"Is Gray all right!"</p><p>"She's just resting, she's been through a lot!"</p><p>After getting reassured by Flat, he eyebrows loosened as he switched his focus to the enemy Master right in front of him. Illya stared right back at him, Berserker trusting her Master to deal with the magus as she kept her attention on Assassin.</p><p>"I am Lord El-Melloi II of Norwich, the Department of Modern Magecraft Theories."</p><p>"A Lord hm, how interesting! Guten abend, my name is Illyasviel von Einzbern, homunculus Master of the Einzbern family, Master of Berserker."</p><p>Somehow, she reminded him of his younger step-sister, Reines. Her seemingly innocent smile was a bit too unnerving.</p><p>"I've come here to retrieve my apprentices. Please, allow me to pass through to get them."</p><p>"A demand right off the bat. Why would I do that for an enemy."</p><p>Two bird familiars appeared, floating on the left and right.</p><p>"I could easily kill you right here and now, and then deal with your precious apprentices."</p><p>Indeed, despite his status as a Lord, his talent in magecraft was quite mediocre, and he would be easily defeated by her in a duel.</p><p>*WWWeeeeWOOO-WWeeee-WOOO*</p><p>Sirens blared in the distance, getting louder and louder.</p><p>"The normal citizens are coming to the scene of a disaster, and it is paramount for us maguses to keep the secrecy of the Mystics, our number one rule to ensure our preservation. Surely, even the Einzberns, as reclusive as they are, know about this."</p><p>Illya tilted her head, smiling sweetly.</p><p>"Then I just have to kill you before they get here."</p><p>Two ethereal blades flew towards him, aiming straight for his heart.</p><p>*Splrch, babump, babu-BOOM*</p><p>A fleshy hand grenade wrapped with a human heart sailed out the open window of the car and towards Illya, forcing her to redirect her familiars as shields against the sudden attack.</p><p>The car door opened, revealing a well-muscled Japanese man wearing sunglasses and a scar running across his face.</p><p>"I guess it was a good idea you brought me along."</p><p>El-Melloi stood back up from the car door that he had stumbled into as he attempted to dodge the swords, nodding his thanks towards the mercenary.</p><p>"Thanks for the help Kairi."</p><p>"Save your thanks for when you pay me."</p><p>Faced with two magi, Illya's chances of a swift victory grew smaller, while the sirens of the fire trucks grew louder and louder.</p><p>"Fine, I've had enough entertainment for the night anyways. Ecchan, let's go."</p><p>"Yes, Master."</p><p>Taking one last look at Assassin, she scooped up Illya in her arms and leaped away into the night. As she left, Illya left one last message for them.</p><p>"You had better prepare, or you'll be defeated by Ecchan's Noble Phantasm when we get serious, and the fight would be too easy."</p><p>Her voice trailed in the air as Assassin's gaze lingered on where her best friend had disappeared, before turning back to her Master to assess her condition.</p><p>Running up the stairs, El-Melloi ran up to where his students were resting, stepping around the craters and through the debris of obliterated stone and dirt. The destroyed stairs made it difficult, but he managed to reach them after only tripping six times.</p><p>"Flat, what happened just now?" Anger smouldered in his eyes as he glared at his irresponsible pupil.</p><p>Flat just scratched the back of his head and smiled.</p><p>"When we got here, Rhongomyniad malfunctioned and almost blew up, so we had to work with Caster to recontain it, but then Berserker came and attacked us, taking out Caster's Master and duking it out with Assassin. You should've seen the guy, he fought toe to toe with Berserker!"</p><p>El-Melloi looked to Assassin for confirmation, and she nodded.</p><p>"Alright then, let's leave and go back to base to recuperate. You two have had a long night."</p><p>Despite his urge to roast Flat until he couldn't stand back up, he decided to withhold it until tomorrow, seeing the pitiful states they were in, covered in soot and scratches from the debris thrown around, while Assassin was in an even worse state from her fight with Berserker.</p><p>"Hey, who's this then."</p><p>Kairi nudged the unconscious body of Kuzuki with his foot.</p><p>"Oh, that's Caster's Master." Flat replied to his question.</p><p>Kairi stared at him, then pulled out his shotgun.</p><p>"I see, I'll just kill him then."</p><p>Aiming at his head, he pulled the trigger.</p><p>*KRNG*</p><p>The finger bullets struck an invisible barrier and were repelled, dropping to the ground as flattened discs of meat.</p><p>"Please leave!'"</p><p>A clear voice sounded from the top of the stairs, a young girl standing at the temple gate. Raising their head, it was the first time Gray, Flat and Assassin had seen Caster's true face since coming here. They were all surprised at the face that was visible beneath the light of the moon.</p><p>"Another one…?"</p><p>El-Melloi memorized her features as well, starting to suspect that something wrong was happening with the Holy Grail. He would have to start investigating after they returned to the base.</p><p>"Please leave right now!"</p><p>The girl repeated her declaration, mana starting to gather around her as El-Melloi noticed the pale outlines of swords beside, barely visible under the moonlight.</p><p>"Let's go." Supporting Flat with his shoulder, he handed Gray over to Kairi to carry down the ruined stairs. Kairi opened his mouth to protest them leaving when the enemy Master was right in front of them, then looked back up at Caster, thought better of it and promptly shut his mouth, carrying Gray silently down the hill.</p><p>After they left, Caster placed Kuzuki on one of her recently acquired swords that she had been able to access after gaining magical energy from the ley lines, floating him back into the temple.</p><p>The stairs turned peaceful once more, broken only by the distant sirens that soon arrived on the scene to find a complete warzone, later officially explained as a sudden meteor shower in the area, courtesy of a certain priest.</p>
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<a name="section0038"><h2>38. Chapter 38</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 38</p><p>Waking up in his shed after a long night of Structural Analysis, his body ached as his muscles protested stiffly from the lack of a proper bed, his extremities cold and numb.</p><p>Standing up, he stretched his muscles until his joints cracked and popped. Checking the time, he realized it wasn't time for school yet, and proceeded to do his morning exercises. It had become a habit for him to work out ever since he was old enough, in order to train his body to fulfill his ideals.</p><p>The morning passed uneventfully, his kouhai, the purple-haired Sakura Matou, coming over to help him cook breakfast like usual, while his guardian/teacher Taiga Fujimaru sat in the living room watching tv.</p><p>shick-shick-shick*</p><p>His knife slid through the tofu as he chopped them into even cubes for the miso soup, doing so carefully and gently to avoid "cracking" the fragile white cubes. Beside him, Sakura worked in silence as she cracked the eggs and poured them into a small white bowl, heating up the pan with oil as she whisked the eggs with chopsticks expertly, prepared to turn it into a fluffy yellow tamagoyaki.</p><p>ttsszzz-ssprrrr*</p><p>The whisked mixture poured onto the pan as the oil popped beneath it, cooking it into a solid mass, but not completely cooked, as she rolled it up, before pouring more egg into the pan. Slowly, it continued gaining in size until it reached the size of a guinea pig, before Sakura added a piece of nori seaweed for the final layer and wrapped it up, taking it out of the pan to serve as a tender, and fluffy tamagoyaki.</p><p>The fermented vegetables and natto were placed into small dishes, garnished lightly with chopped spring onion as sliced seaweed.</p><p>ding!*</p><p>The rice cooker was done, steam rising into the air as Emiya cut it into several even portions, saving some for Taiga's lunch later, as well as his own and Sakura's. Three bowls were soon filled with rice, their fragrance forcing Taiga to peek at the kitchen as she became distracted by the smells and sounds coming from the kitchen.</p><p>"Moouu, Shirou, is it done yet? I'm hunggrrrrryy."</p><p>The Tiger of Fuyuki had a large appetite to sustain it's energetic ways. Here, in it's natural habitat of the Emiya residence, one could often observe it's feeding habits at the hands of it's caretaker, Emiya Shirou.</p><p>"Just be patient Fuji-nee, we're almost done."</p><p>"Kay."</p><p>She went back to watching tv, though her stomach wouldn't stop rumbling.</p><p>"Senpai, I think the salmon is done cooking."</p><p>The salmon he had started frying earlier was now done, the surface gleaming brightly under the kitchen lights as the pink flesh turned orange, the flesh crispy and firm where it had touched the pan. Black pepper dotted the length of the salmon steak, a savoury aroma hanging in the air above the pan.</p><p>"Ah, thanks for reminding me."</p><p>"No problem."</p><p>They proceeded silently after that, only the occasional clicking of the cutlery against the bowls and plate disturbing the silence as they plated the food. Both burners were switched off, the pan left on the stove to cool down as they placed the used bowls into the sink for washing later on. Lifting the lid of the pot, he poured the miso soup that had been stewing for some time, the brown transparent liquid with white paste poured into three bowls for the three of them, putting in extra tofu for Taiga. He took a sip just to be sure of the taste, then nodded in satisfaction. On the side, Sakura took the plates out to the chabudai (low table) in the living room, carefully setting each plate in its proper place.</p><p>clink, clink*</p><p>Soon, the table was filled with food, the fragrant rice with heat still wafting out of the bowl in front of each seat as the soup was placed on the right, while the larger plates of fermented vegetables, tamagoyaki and salmon were placed further in, the salmon in the middle and the other two on the left. Savoury umami scents drifted into the mouths and noses of each person in the living room, stimulating their taste buds and sense of smell. Taiga was already drooling, her eyes transformed into stars.</p><p>"Itadakimasu."</p><p>Everyone spoke the phrase, "Let's eat.", and then dug into their food.</p><p>"Mmmm, I shwill neber ger ired ohu hirou's foo."</p><p>"Fuji-nee, it's not polite to talk while your mouth is full."</p><p>The tiger was consuming everything at a rapid pace, the food disappearing like the wind into her mouth. Emiya had to lightly berate her for speaking like that as small bits of daikon radish and cucumber flew across the table at him. She could also choke by eating and talking at the same time, with the rate she inhaled the food at, but he had seen her do this since his childhood, making him give up in that regard.</p><p>"By the way, it seems that a meteorite shower struck Enzō-yama and destroyed the stairs leading up to Ryūdō-ji."</p><p>"Really? I wonder if Issei is ok…"</p><p>Issei's 2-hour walk on foot from Ryūdō-ji to Homuhara Gakuen was no joke, and if the stairs were damaged he could be further delayed since that was the only path out of Enzō-yama. Emiya had asked him before why he commuted to school like that, and he'd simply answered it was training. Well, it was similar to Emiya himself who insisted on working out every day in the morning and at night when he could, so he could respect his friend's determination.</p><p>Taiga sprang out of her seat after cleaning every last speck of her plate while remarking that she was late, bursting out the doors onto her beloved scooter and rushing back to school. Emiya and Sakura shared a laugh over this regular occurrence, the ever-energetic Taiga, then cleaned up and went to school.</p><p>Tohsaka Rin grumbled to herself as she walked back to school, her twintails shaking much more than usual despite her attempt to restrain her pace.</p><p>"How are there already large battles happening so soon? I haven't even summoned my Servant, yet there's already been conflicts across Fuyuki, while the priest keeps reassuring me that everything is ok, when it's clearly not!"</p><p>The explosions of mana during the battle between Berserker, Caster and Assassin, as well as the summoning of Lancer, didn't go unnoticed by her. Yet, her prime time to summon her Servant was still some ways off, almost ten days later.</p><p>Gritting her teeth, she quickly reassumed her honors student persona as she noticed the presence of other students on the streets, noting the presence of a red-haired fellow schoolmate and a familiar kouhai with purple hair next to him, walking across the street ahead of her.</p><p>"T-Tohsaka-san, nice to see you today!" A brown-haired girl slightly shorter than Tohsaka shyly stammered out a greeting.</p><p>"Ah, Sae-san good morning."</p><p>Saegusa Yukika lightly blushed as the student she admired to the point of almost worshipping responded to her greeting.</p><p>"Would you like to, um, walk to school together?"</p><p>"Sure, it's nice having someone to talk to on the way."</p><p>The two walked to school, chatting along the way, while behind the two an athletic, dark-skinned and flat-chested tomboy stalked them with her gray-haired friend wearing round glasses, both of whom were part of the school's track team.</p><p>A boy with curly blue hair and gray-blue eyes raised the bow, the sheer length of it giving it a heft despite it's thinness. He ordinarily wouldn't be at the range this early in the day, but he had woken up early out of excitement and couldn't go back to sleep, so he had decided he might as well go back to school to meet with his groupies. His sister had already left for the Emiya residence, something he still disapproved of, but it was already out of his control. Well, he could always use her at night when she came back.</p><p>His groupies hadn't arrived at school yet, so he had decided to swing by the dojo to take a look at the club he supposedly attended.</p><p>"What sight for sore eyes. Matou Shinji, here at the dojo this early in the morning. Planning to do some early practice?"</p><p>Another tomboy appeared at the entrance of the dojo, red hair barely reaching her shoulder as she walked in dressed in the traditional gi and hakama required for kyudo.</p><p>"Somebody has to pick up the slack after Emiya left, unlike what the captain of the team has been doing."</p><p>His haughty voice needled at the girl as he boasted about things he hadn't done at all.</p><p>"Just stop scaring away the kouhai's, otherwise we might get shut down from the lack of members."</p><p>"Oh, I'm sure I can always convince more to join, unlike you Ayako-chan. With your charm, I'm sure it would be quite difficult."</p><p>She almost bit her lip, but she managed to push down the rising tide of anger within her as she simply ignored him to grab a bow and begin morning practice with the other members. Seeing her unresponsive attitude, he decided to leave, entertained from the small exchange with her.</p><p>"Did you hear? Souichirou-sensei's not coming to school today."</p><p>"Hah? It can't be, he's never missed a day of school since he started teaching here."</p><p>"Yeah, rumor has it that his accumulated paid holidays are enough to last him for a year."</p><p>"Idiot, that's obviously way too long. Still, it is strange that he just couldn't show up after being perfectly healthy yesterday."</p><p>"Did you see the show yesterday?"</p><p>"Yeah, the Phantas-Moon episode was pretty epic. To think that she was forced to use Sparkle Moon in that fight…"</p><p>"Hey, did you hear about the hallucinations of the white castle at Enzō-yama? People said they saw a ghostly white castle float there for a second."</p><p>"That can't be true. No castle has ever been built there."</p><p>Chatter rang throughout the school halls as students walked to and fro, teachers quickly coming into the classrooms before the bells rang to silence them and start their classes.</p><p>Outside the school, far on the outskirts of the city, Illya kept herself snug in the kotatsu, the heater soothing her body as Berserker devoured the hill of food piled on the table bit by bit.</p><p>skrple*</p><p>The transparent plastic covering of the cake was torn open as the fluffy goodness of the product was revealed. Illya eyed the white steamed cheesecake, with the outline of Hokkaido stamped on top.</p><p>Berserker opened her small mouth, delicately nibbling on the edge of the cake at first, then after confirming the flavour, she stretched her mouth wide open and consumed it in one gulp. Flowers seemed to pop up mid air around her as she closed her eyes in bliss, cheeks protruding like a chipmunk, then they deflated as a noticeable bulge appeared at her throat before sliding down into her stomach.</p><p>"Fuah…" Seeing Berserker so laidback also put Illya into a more relaxed state, her cheek resting on the wooden table as she closed her eyes, enjoying a light nap.</p><p>Outside the room, Leysritt pushed away a mountain of discarded wrappers, plastic packets and paper bags on a trolley.</p><p>"We're going to go bankrupt soon."</p><p>Sella said emotionlessly, her eyes hollow as she stared at the overflowing magic incinerator that was supposed to be able to handle up to 50 tons of waste per day. Even the thaumaturgically enhanced flames couldn't chew through food wrappings fast enough to keep the castle clean.</p><p>"With how much she eats, she could speed up global warming by decades."</p><p>In fact, a scientific study done in collaboration between Merlin and Zelretch, proved that having a city filled with Artorias would speed up global warming by 4% and cause widespread food shortages across the world, leading to world wars as well when famine struck. The alternate timeline was quickly pruned when it was clear that the Artorias were going to unleash their Excaliburs all at once in the final showdown, possibly causing a rip in space-time that could reach other parallel universes.</p><p>The wind howled outside the castle, spirits gliding silently in the forest around it as the maids in the castle despaired, while the Master and Servant dozed in the Dark Rounds-edition kotatsu.</p><p>"Oooh, is that where you bought takoyaki from?"</p><p>"The Edomaeya? Yep, I bought them here. They're pretty cheap individually, but you have to buy them in bulk for 80 yen each. I've heard that there are other takoyaki shops at the place called "Verde" though."</p><p>Flat and Assassin walked through Mount Miyama, the local shopping district, buying the food they needed for next week. El-Melloi had told him to unwind outside, letting him relax while giving Gray the chance to rest as well after the battle last night.</p><p>Assassin had also recovered outwardly, the surface injuries no longer present. But, it didn't escape Flat's notice that her ahoge trembled slightly whenever she took a step, unlike when she was first summoned where it was totally rigid.</p><p>Without warning, the two of them picked up the scent of pure spiciness. Instantly, Flat's eyes began to water as Assassin pulled up her muffler over her mouth and nose.</p><p>"Get behind me, it could be an attack!"</p><p>Thus, they ended up in an awkward position where Flat suddenly got saddled with all the food they were carrying as Assassin moved in front of him, body poised to act against any enemies. The passersby on the street gave them a wide berth as these two foreigners acted like they were in a warzone, which was technically correct.</p><p>"Uh, Saber? I think it's just the smell of spicy food from that restaurant over there."</p><p>Indeed, the smell was wafting out of the noren curtains hung over the door, the sign above the entrance saying "Kōshūensaikan Taizan" written in kanji. The store was small and unassuming, but the aroma coming out of the store was undeniably strong, almost on the level of a weapon.</p><p>"What on earth are they selling in there?"</p><p>"Why don't we go take a look?"</p><p>Flat suggested, his curiosity rising. He'd heard of food that talked in the Clock Tower before, combinations of spices infused with magecraft to achieve miraculous results, so could this possibly be the workshop of a food magus?</p><p>"Hmmm, it has been some time since I'd challenged my tongue. Let us proceed to inspect the store."</p><p>They passed through the cloth and entered the store, the scent now completely enveloping them as their bodies started to sweat and tears started pooling in their eyes. It was like bathing in a sauna, if a sauna had ghost chilli peppers mixed in the water.</p><p>"Hoh, new customers, and foreigners that. Take a seat anywhere, the owner is still in the back."</p><p>A tall, imposing man sitting at one of the simple wooden tables spoke to them, a bowl of mapo tofu in front of him. His cassock lay discarded on the chair next to him folded neatly, as the muscles on his body were highlighted by the sheer amount of sweat spilling from every pore on his body. Several empty bowls were on the side, traces of red liquid still staining the porcelain.</p><p>Besides him, there were no other customers.</p><p>"O-Ok."</p><p>That was all Flat could wrestle out of his throat as he staggered to a seat, almost crashing into the table as he struggled to resist the miasma of pepper eating into his eyes, nose and mouth. Beside him, Assassin fared better, with her Servant constitution and the blue muffler covering her face. Nevertheless, she still felt an abnormal amount of pain in her eyes, desperately trying to stop the tears from leaking out of them., rapidly blinking to reduce contact with the air.</p><p>Seeing their suffering, Kirei couldn't help but smile. It was a good day to be alive.</p><p>A few minutes passed while Flat struggled to get accustomed to the air, then a young girl stepped through the door leading to the kitchen.</p><p>"Kotomi-oh, we have customers! Welcome to the store, do you have anything you'd like to order?"</p><p>A short girl with hair done in odango buns walked up to them, a notepad and pen in her hands. An apron covered her, giving her more decency than the scandalously short red qipao she wore that barely reached the middle of her upper thigh, two slits running up the sides all the way up to the top of her pelvis.</p><p>Flat was now able to breath more normally, but speaking a whole sentence was still beyond him.</p><p>Kirei grinned.</p><p>"Get both of them a bowl of mapo tofu each, Batsu-san."</p><p>The cute girl stared at the priest for a moment, looked back at Flat and Assassin, then nodded.</p><p>"Ok, as long as you pay up."</p><p>She went back into the kitchen, her voice yelling at the sole cook who was able to withstand the spices to hurry up.</p><p>At the table, Assassin looked at Flat in pity. While she could withstand the spice after tasting numerous cuisines in space, he was in for a world of pain.</p><p>"W-wwatterrrrr…"</p><p>In a temple on a certain hill, a young girl nursed a heavily injured man.</p><p>"Just let me feed you Master."</p><p>"It's fine. I can use my right arm."</p><p>The stump of his left arm was wrapped in gauze, the bruises around his body reduced to a mere swelling through her magecraft, while the minor scratches were closed. Still, healing magecraft wasn't her specialty, and there was still internal damage from Berserker's kick and impact that had necessitated him to rest while the passive effects of her Noble Phantasm seeped into his body, similar to what the scabbard Avalon could do. His left arm however, was permanently gone.</p><p>The girl stared at the ground in frustration as she clenched her white dress tightly, her face downcast.</p><p>Kuzuki stopped eating the congee and looked up at her.</p><p>"I was simply outmatched by my opponent. Neither you or I were to blame for my injuries."</p><p>"But if I could have dispelled Rhongomyniad faster, I could have-"</p><p>He raised a hand and patted her golden hair, no longer hidden underneath the large cap that covered her head most of the time.</p><p>"You kept me alive, and for that I am thankful."</p><p>Her dainty lips became stained with a line of blood as she bit deeply, silent tears flowing as her Master patted her head softly, his formerly empty self suddenly finding the urge to comfort this familiar that was supposed to become the leader of Britain, who in this moment was just a frustrated, crying girl that was upset over not being able to protect someone important to her.</p><p>Night soon fell over the city, the stars and moon faintly twinkling in the sky as the chill descended onto the streets. Yet, deep in the bowels of a dark mansion, the air was warm and humid, almost sticky even. Thousands of bugs and worms crawled across the walls, floor and ceiling, a veritable mass of undulating insects that would cause a heart attack in most people.</p><p>In the midst of this chaotic swarm of life, an empty circle formed as the bugs retreated to the sides, vanishing into hidden corners and tunnels as a few hundred of them piled on each other in the center, forming the body of a frail old man stooped over with age, holding a gnarled piece of wood as a walking stick.</p><p>click, clack, click, clack*</p><p>Descending the stairs into the basement was the insufferably arrogant face of Matou Shinji, followed by the hollow girl obediently following behind him.</p><p>"Tonight, tonight I finally get the chance to prove my superiority!"</p><p>His laughter echoed strangely in the chamber, distorting his own voice heavily until it became a mockery of the original. Numerous luminous bugs lit up on the ceiling at their entrance, providing light for them.</p><p>"Let us begin the ritual."</p><p>The old man handed over an elaborate crafted book to Shinji.</p><p>"The book of False Attendant will allow you to maintain control over your Servant in Sakura's stead."</p><p>"So these are my Command Seals?"</p><p>"Kohkoh, in a sense, yes."</p><p>His gravelly, near-inhuman voice sparked unease in Shinji's heart, but he decided to ignore it, as he had always done.</p><p>"Well, what are you waiting for Sakura? Start chanting!"</p><p>Pushing her forward roughly, she stumbled before catching herself, her white dress in stark contrast with the grimy room.</p><p>The magic circle was already prepared by the old man, engraved on the ground as it always was since the first war.</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Repeat every five times.</p><p>Simply, shatter once filled.</p><p>Silver and iron to the origin. Stone and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone.</p><p>Zolgen Makiri is the great master I pay tribute to.</p><p>The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.</p><p>――――I announce.</p><p>Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword.</p><p>In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.</p><p>I hereby swear. I will be all that is good in the eternal world. I will be the disposer of evil in the eternal world.</p><p>You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance ―――！</p><p>The winds died down as the lights faded, revealing the Servant they had summoned.</p><p>"Servant, Rider. Now that I'm here, be ready to live the ideal lifestyle. I won't allow sleeping in or insufficient exercise. The cleaning and laundry will be done thoroughly by me. Cooking, cooking as well…I'll do it the best I can."</p>
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<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Chapter 39</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 39</p><p>Shinji couldn't help but wrinkle his eyebrows. What was his Servant saying? Also, why was she dressed in a swimsuit, and holding a handgun with an inflatable sword? Was this a prank by his grandfather?</p><p>Turning to the old man, he almost yelped in surprise when he saw his grandfather's lower jaw detached and lying on the ground, his reaction to the Servant so great that the insects connecting his jaw and mouth stopped working in shock.</p><p>Sakura merely widened her eyes by a fraction, but showed no other signs of emotion.</p><p>Rider took in her surroundings, inspecting the area and seeing the grimy walls, the putrid smell, the teeming masses of insects infesting the area, their clicks echoing in the chamber.</p><p>"Unacceptable. I will put a stop to this infestation at once. Master, please leave the immediate area at once."</p><p>Her body became surrounded by golden light, the glow seemingly twisting around her body, conforming to her swimsuit and breaking it apart, turning to millions of golden specks that returned to her body after a moment, forming a different shape and adhering to her body. The light soon faded, revealing her in a swimsuit-like maid outfit. She now held mop in her right hand, the handgun sporting a scope as well as becoming a different model from before.</p><p>"Master, once again, please leave the area as soon as possible. I will commence cleaning shortly."</p><p>Finally, Shinji regained his sense as he noticed copious amounts of water swirling around the mop, spinning faster and faster as it reached a violent pace.</p><p>"O-Ojii-sama, what do I do?"</p><p>Zolgen sensed the growing mana pool coalescing around her form, and hurriedly yelled at him to stop her.</p><p>"Cut off the connection you have with her, quick!"</p><p>"H-How?"</p><p>"Use the book you fool! Feel the connection between you and her and cut the supply of mana!"</p><p>Focusing on the mystical energies locked in the mystic code, he grasped the thread that technically connected to Sakura, and severed it. Instantly, Zolgen felt a dip in the mana she was gathering.</p><p>Then it shot straight back up.</p><p>"Shinji! Didn't you cut the mana flow?"</p><p>"I did, I did! S-Stop, Rider stop!"</p><p>Despite the order, he didn't use his Command Seals, in fear of wasting them and losing an important advantage in the future.</p><p>The water had turned into a tornado that reached the ceiling of the basement, and it was still growing in size, with Rider in the eye of the storm. Her molten yellow eyes blazed with determination, the will to clean evident from her entire body.</p><p>"Tch, it's too late. None of my insects can get close to her, just leave the basement, NOW!"</p><p>Zolgen ordered them out, knowing stopping her would be futile at this point. Having both Shinji and Sakura die here would be pointless and unnecessary, and he would still live even if the basement was destroyed, albeit severely weakened.</p><p>Shinji ran up the stairs without a second glance, while Sakura hesitated, then calmly walked up as if nothing strange was happening. It almost seemed as if she wanted to be caught up in whatever Rider was doing.</p><p>"Kuh, to think that we summoned a Servant like this…"</p><p>He stared at Rider as her icy gaze pierced through him.</p><p>"You too, will be cleansed upon my oath as a maid."</p><p>Zolgen dissolved his body, evacuating as many insects as he could through the various tunnels, but it was on too short a notice to let more than a fifth in the basement escape.</p><p>"How impudent. Filthy creature, know that you cannot run. With this Mop of Selection, the holy sword grade almighty mop, the relentless magic bullet will race across the water to cleanse all impurities. I will take care of (train) my Master well, for I am the maid of summer! Sweep it away!"</p><p>"SSHAAAABOOM"</p><p>The massive volume of water surrounding her exploded outwards with the force of TNT, smashing the basement apart as water filled every nook and cranny, the force crushing the bugs and drowning those that couldn't adapt. Above, the manor shook and rumbled as Shinji hugged the book in fear, feeling the tremors even when he was several streets away, while Sakura just stated at the manor, the worm in her heart still clutching it tightly.</p><p>Unfortunately for Shinji, she still wasn't done. Equipped with Independent Action EX, she could cook, clean and serve all day without her Master's assistance. According to her, a maids service mentality should be free, spontaneous and uncoerced, to provide the best service possible. Hence, she was able to function without his mana support, and in the event both Shinji and Sakura died, she could still exist in the world for a few more weeks at most, if she conserved energy and started out with maxed out reserves.</p><p>Once the basement was flooded, she proceeded to smash a hole in the walls while underwater to drain the water, then proceeded to scrub the walls, floor and ceiling with her mop until everything was sterilized, the holy mop cleansing the stone better than any detergent could. The once grimy and dull surfaces now glowed slightly, immaculate and smooth.</p><p>Next, she proceeded to go upstairs and meticulously cleaned everything. Her Servant body enabled her to clean at insane speeds, going from one room to the next in under 20 minutes. The walls, the furniture, the appliances, the carpet, the lights, everything and anything was dusted, cleaned, dried and rearranged until the entire house was beyond sparkling clean, more of a monument to perfect housework at this point.</p><p>The insects still wriggling in the walls were flushed out with water fired from Secace, the holy blade adding a purifying element to the liquid, turning it into a makeshift insect repellent. A war on the infestations started, lasting the whole day as repeated explosions and banging could be heard by the neighbors, loud flushing noises and frequent insectile whirring and buzzing emanating from the house as well. The extermination lasted well into the night until the next morning, ending just before the two Matou's finally came home after staying at the Emiya residence for the night.</p><p>"Senpai?"</p><p>Despite her having the keys, she still knocked and called him.</p><p>"Yes? Sakura, is there something you need?"</p><p>Then he spotted her brother behind him.</p><p>"Oh hi Shinji."</p><p>"Yo."</p><p>Despite being estranged as of late, they could still maintain cordial communication between each other.</p><p>"Our house is undergoing some emergency renovations, so we'd like to stay here for the night."</p><p>"Ah, I see. Sure then, make yourselves at home."</p><p>The two siblings went back the next morning to see what had happened.</p><p>When Shinji opened the gate, he was greeted by the sight of a neatly trimmed garden, with all the flowers in order and the bushes no longer growing in chaos, while the vines coating all the walls were gone. In addition, there was a faint scent of mint as well. However, the sight of several holes in the ground and walls, in addition to the wet patches here and there, ruined the otherwise picture perfect scene.</p><p>"Rider?"</p><p>The servant materialized next to him, her mop and gun still in hand. Shinji shrank away from her when he saw the weapons of the maid.</p><p>"Master, I regretfully inform you that I have not been able to fully cleanse the house. The infestation of bugs remains severe, even with the constant war waged upon the uncleanliness, and I fear it may take some time before it can be completed."</p><p>Shinji wondered whether his grandfather would show up suddenly, but he seemed to have left for someplace else. He hadn't contacted them at all earlier. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. With his grandfather gone, he could do what he wanted, and he could prove his strength solely by himself!</p><p>"Also Master, you seem to have some unhealthy habits. From this day onwards, I will train you until your rehabilitation is complete, for that is my duty as your maid. I have taken the liberty of clearing out (eating) your stock of unhealthy food as well, while all your unnecessary goods have been destroyed. Prepare yourself Master, for you must be in top shape for the war we are about to enter."</p><p>Shinji glared at her until his eyes bulged, then he ran into the house to see what exactly was gone. Behind him, Sakura couldn't help but laugh slightly.</p><p>"As for you, your cooking and cleaning skills are passable. I will train you in the ways of the maid as well."</p><p>"Eh? Ah, no, that's not really necessary, please-"</p><p>"You have someone you want to please don't you? I assure you, the path of the maid will blow apart any obstacles in your path."</p><p>Her face went red as she realized Rider had seen her secret "stash" in her room.</p><p>"I-aahh-I-I d-don't kn-now what you-"</p><p>"Let us start training now. Your first task is to whip your brother into shape, as a maid has to watch over her Master's physical condition. Use him as a practice tool. Don't worry about damaging him, for I will (probably) surely be able to restore him back to life as the perfect maid."</p><p>"Nii-sama?"</p><p>"Yes, hands on practice provides the most progress. Now let me demonstrate first." She grabbed Sakura's hand and led her into the house, preparing to show her the maid techniques of training (torturing) the master.</p><p>Far away, in one of the dark alleyways dotted across the city, a pile of insects lumped together to form the decaying body of an old man.</p><p>"Kah, gehkoh!"</p><p>Coughing fit ensued, a psychological response ingrained into his body despite the lack of physiological need to do so. Pain coursed through his "body" after what Rider had done to him.</p><p>"How did we summon her?"</p><p>The thought ran through his mind. Not only was she strong, she also wore a swimsuit of all things, and wielded modern weaponry. Normally the rule was that the closer to the modern age a Servant was, the weaker they became. But she was clearly an exception to the rule. Who even was she?</p><p>In fact, Zolgen himself was partially at fault here. Earlier today, he had consumed a girl wearing a maid outfit, and while her body had disappeared, the cloth and frantic still survived, the remains of the uniform in the many insects he had spread out across the basement, serving as a catalyst.</p><p>In addition, the Grail had judged her personality to be most suitable for Shinji out of all the maid Servants, so she was summoned for him. Well, it was more like she was the most suitable to reform him, able control his habits and desires until he was compatible with her. That is to say, a Servant and Master (S&amp;M) relationship.</p><p>Thus, the fifth Servant was summoned, leaving only two more slots available for the Holy Grail War.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0040"><h2>40. Chapter 40</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 40</p><p>The fog thickened and swirled around the Einzbern grounds, the forest hushed until even a whisper was like cannonfire. Bounded Fields overlapped and enclosed the entire area, turning it into a would-be deathtrap for any intruders. On the edge of the forest, a shadowy presence materialized.</p><p>"Master, this is the location, correct."</p><p>Standing in direct defiance to the silent forest, a tall rider clad in black armor appeared, seated on a skeletal horse with red shining eyes that stood eerily still, it's mane fluttering slightly in the wind.</p><p>"Yes, enter the Bounded Field and engage the enemy Servant, then retreat after you have accurately gauged their abilities."</p><p>"I take it that this is only a scouting mission then."</p><p>"Learn as much as you can, use any methods you deem necessary."</p><p>"Understood."</p><p>Even if she didn't smile under the dragon-like helmet, there was still a feeling of anticipation in her heart. This was the Artoria that had persisted in being heartless, clutching the holy spear until the very end with her core defiled from her actions in life. Yet, she was not emotionless.</p><p>"Giddy up, Llamrei."</p><p>At her command the dark beast pawed the earth, steam snorting from his nose as he prepared to charge. Lowering his head, his tail swung as his muscles tensed, potential energy storing up as his muscles bulged and stretched. Lancer leaned forward, lowering her center of gravity as her lance pointed forwards, the length lighting up with red lines as the spikes lit up as well.</p><p>*sstzzzzzzzzz!*</p><p>A high pitched whir started up, the drill spinning slowly at first, then speeding up as purple and red wind wrapped around it, a poisonous trait inherent in the mana corroding even the very air it existed in.</p><p>"Charge!"</p><p>The shout spurred Llamrei to kick off the ground, his hooves digging deeply into the earth and kicking up clods of dirt as he ran forward, hind and fore legs moving in perfect sync to achieve a natural rhythm that propelled both him and his rider forward like a rocket. Without stopping, they charged through the first Bounded Field, breaking it with brute force as they reached the first tree. The lance mowed down the tree without any resistance, piercing through the thick trunks easily and sending the tree trunk flying with the pure force, tearing it apart as wood splinters were consumed by the miasma whirling around the lance.</p><p>*BOOOOOM*</p><p>Like a rocket tearing through the sky, Lancer hurtled through the trees, cutting down trees left and right as her shockwave shook the trees near her path, while those in her way were obliterated outright. A path of destruction cutting through the forest was formed in her trail, leaves, branches and the remnants of tree trunks blown to pieces littering the ground in her wake. Snow melted in the shape of hoofprints that sank deeply into the ground, and Bounded Fields fizzled out of existence from the combined might of her Magic Resistance and the sheer amount of mana she was releasing.</p><p>Inside the Einzbern Castle, Illya snapped to full attention from the kotatsu.</p><p>"Berserker! Intruders!"</p><p>Wolfing down the crunchy melonpan in one gulp, Berserker shot out of the kotatsu and ran out of the door before she could even finish the word "Intruder", racing through the halls to get to the main entrance and out the gates into the forest to meet the invading force.</p><p>*vuon*</p><p>The lightsaber hummed to life as she dashed through the forest, this time in it's single-bladed configuration, reserving the saberstaff as a surprise for later. Gradually, the black whirlwind tearing through the forest drew closer to the black dot sprinting through the forest, red blade a the ready.</p><p>*VUON*</p><p>The first thing she saw of her opponent was the red blade swinging at her face, banking on the momentum of her charge to make the blow undodgeable. Yet, she managed to arch her back below the blade, laying flat against her horse as only the tip of her helmet was sliced off. The metal went bouncing on the forest floor as Llamrei suddenly went careening to the side from the impact of a tree that crashed into his sides, while red electricity danced across his body, sparking up to his master's metal armor as well.</p><p>Grabbing the reins, she tugged hard, sending Llamrei into a complete 180 turnaround as she slowed him to stop while digging her spurs into his sides, the horse obeying despite the occasional twitches from the shock. Facing her opponent, she leveled her spear at Berserker, now no longer spinning at the same rate as before.</p><p>"Are you Berserker?"</p><p>Berserker remained silent, her hood pulled up over her head as she stared at her enemy, one hand holding her sword diagonally in front while her left hand stored crimson lightning, ready to release the energy at any moment.</p><p>"Your lack of speech answers for itself."</p><p>*ZSHHH*</p><p>Her horse abruptly galloped towards Berserker, accelerating to her in an instant, the lance reaching out to pierce her in one go. In spite of its lack of maneuverability, the horse was undeniably fast. Berserker was left unable to dodge, blocking the thrusting lance with Necrocalibur.</p><p>*SHIN*</p><p>The blow blew her backwards as she used the force to jump backwards, rolling on the ground to create some distance between them. Yet as soon as she landed, Lancer charged again, reaching her in the blink of an eye with her trusty steed and refusing to let her rest. The next few blows were repeated as the momentum of the charge made it difficult for Berserker to dodge and take the blow, her speed unable to keep up with the horse's swift charge. Normally, the charge of a horse would require some amount of time to accelerate to the desired speed. However, with Lancer's horse as a Servant, even that time was reduced to a negligible time span, with almost instantaneous movement. The only problem was that there was no real way to immediately change directions mid-charge.</p><p>*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*</p><p>Consecutive blasts resounded through the air as the lance pierced the air, carrying the deadly wind as a cone of death that preceded the rampaging charge of the fierce stallion. Even with Berserker blade parrying the blow and her telekinesis pulling him off course by the smallest of margins, she was still unable to fully block them, and each blow blew her backwards, closer to the Einzbern Castle.</p><p>*BO-Thoom!*</p><p>The red blade grinded across the black drill, releasing red sparks as it cut through the poisonous miasma around it and crashed into a red spike, stopping it's spin entirely. The entire cloud of poison dissipated, the lance stopping in place as even the horse halted. Lancer applied more strength, a red flare bursting from the back of her elbow, endowing her arm with even more strength. Yet the lightsaber did not budge in the slightest.</p><p>Bounded Fields surrounded the entire perimeter of the forest, most of them used for detection and repelling intruders. However, there were some that were set there for the purpose of supporting allies should the need arise. Homunculus, humans and mages would be strengthened while fighting these areas, the level depending on the master of the area. In this moment, the one controlling all the Bounded Fields was Illya, and she diverted her formidable mana reserves towards supporting Berserker, the Bounded Fields springing to life as translucent walls surrounded Berserker and Lancer, blue light wrapping around her limbs as red electricity sparked in and out.</p><p>With the Holy Grail now supporting Berserker's existence as well, she suffered less pain and her mana drain was less intensive, giving her some more leeway.</p><p>"Berserker, kill the intruder."</p><p>The command came through clearly in Berserker's head, a rush of strength flowing through her muscles and limbs as her aching arms from parrying the violent charges dulled, her body refreshed and ready to battle at peak condition.</p><p>"ORA!"</p><p>The lightsaber thrust out, a swift thrust followed by one spin, two spins, three spins that chained into an endless amount of rotations as the saberstaff appeared, the other blade humming to life to assault Lancer at speeds imperceivable by the human eye. A spinning buzzsaw of red buzzed angrily with lightning as Lancer held up her blackened spear to block the incoming slashes, using the wide body of the lance like a shield to hold back each slash, barely able to hold her own. Llamrei, sensing his riders' unrest, moved backwards as fast as he could. However, the physique of a horse made it a difficult task, and he was unable to back out of Berserker's range as she continued attacking Lancer with a limitless combo.</p><p>Lancer's arms shook with the consecutive blows as the lance trembled, both hands holding it upright and shifting it left and right to prevent her slashes from reaching her. Her Mana Burst was constantly active to counter Berserker's forceful strikes from tearing the lance from her hands, the Bounded Fields enhancing her strength to such a degree that compounded with the Black Bean paste she had eaten earlier, made her into an absolute monster on the battlefield. Earlier, her being seemingly pushed back with each blow was simply a front to lure in Lancer until she was in too deep to escape. Even now, the other Bounded Fields erected on the site hindered her movements, however small the effect may have been with her Magic Resistance.</p><p>"It seems that you are in trouble, Lancer. Do you require assistance?"</p><p>The priest could easily sense her slight frustration and concern with her current predicament. Perhaps if it came to it, she would need to unleash her Noble Phantasm to escape.</p><p>"Do not interfere."</p><p>She was far from beaten yet.</p><p>A light red glow suffused her body and horse, and the black armor gaining a red tint. The lance lit up as well, the red lines glowing to converge at the tip.</p><p>"Remove anchor."</p><p>Berserker pressed the attack even harder, her blade rippling through the air as her body spun, each stroke promising a swift end for Lancer. Then the unthinkable happened. Her saberstaff failed for a second, the blade shortening to just scrape past her lance. At the same time, a mana burst much larger than previous attempts burst out of her back, allowing Lancer to swing her spear with her full strength like a log at Berserker, forcing her to block as she rotated back to face her. The revolution broke as her body went gliding through the air from the blow, the combo stopped in its tracks.</p><p>Blessings from the End of the World was a skill automatically given to all wielders of the holy spear, providing a rank up to Luck and Mana parameters when active. Passively, it provided enhanced healing abilities, similar to Avalon, but not to the extent of completely healing any injury with enough time. However, the passive aspect of this skill was sealed with Lancer Alter, in exchange granting a greater boost in parameters when used.</p><p>Berserker hummed in thought as she got back to her feet, unperturbed by the sudden failure of her lightsaber.</p><p>"It seems you have a luck boosting skill in your possession. High parameters as well, and combined with that weapon, I take it that you are Lancer?"</p><p>The knight stayed silent, her helmet obscuring her features.</p><p>"Your lack of speech answers for itself."</p><p>Her words were thrown back in her face.</p><p>"That's enough Lancer. Come back."</p><p>Upon receiving her Master's command, she frowned. She disliked leaving the battlefield after doing so little, but she knew she was there simply to scout as well. After a moment, she replied.</p><p>"Another minute Master."</p><p>She would state her actions clearly and let her Master know. It wasn't a request, it was a statement.</p><p>Lowering her spear, she grasped the reins of Llamrei once more, the red aura still covering her armor.</p><p>Opposite her, Berserker stood her ground, saberstaff and electricity in hand. A</p><p>All around them, shattered tree trunks littered the snowy ground, wood chips and splinters scattered across the white snow, until it was more brown than white, with branches here and there. High above them, the moon shone brightly, the fog now reduced to mere mist that wisped weakly across the ground. A strong wind blew through the hole Lancers charge had left in the forest, scattering the remaining mist crawling along the ground.</p><p>"Get ready Berserker, we're going to do that."</p><p>Illya prepared to test the new weapon they had, as Berserker mentally readied herself.</p><p>Lancer gathered mana in her lance, the lance no longer spinning this time, but glowing brighter and brighter as each line and spike bathed the surroundings in red light.</p><p>Each side prepared to unleash their power, mana gathering thickly in the air until it could choke a normal human to death.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0041"><h2>41. Chapter 41</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 41</p><p>The wind swirled around the two as mana collected around their bodies, dead leaves and branches shifting on the ground.</p><p>*BSH*</p><p>Unexpectedly, Berserker jumped backwards in a massive leap, her entire body flying through the air away from Lancer. Before Lancer could react to her sudden move, Berserker started to slow down while in mid-air, and then reached a complete stop hovering in the air with nothing under her feet. For a moment, she held her position in the air, knees crouched and tucked almost to her chest as she lowered her head towards Lancer, her hood down.</p><p>Lancer raised her spear and prepared to charge at her, pulling the reins of Llamrei as her legs pulled in to his sides, her mount sensing her muscles tensing up and readying up for a charge as well.</p><p>*tatatata*</p><p>*SCHWIP*</p><p>The sound of something like cables on a bridge being stretched to their limit echoed through the gap in the trees, then Berserker catapulted forward like a human cannonball rushing towards Lancer.</p><p>Lancer charged at the same moment Berserker rebounded, her mount reaching full speed in a matter of seconds as the tip of her lance glowed and hummed, spinning once more to wrap itself with a cloak of corrupted mana.</p><p>It was for naught, as Berserker approached with almost double the speed compared to before, her blade skating across the lance and slicing off the spikes adorning it's edges, just barely missing Lancer's arm. For Lancer had leaned Llamrei sideways on instinct just like a motorcycle, her Riding skill exercised to great effect as he performed a motion normally impossibly for most equestrians, one side of his body leaning as his left hind and forelegs buckled, while his right hind and forelegs remained straight. Berserker shot past the two of them, reaching the back of the Bounded Field, and then hitting another invisible wall to slow down, then rebounded off it to come hurtling back at Lancer behind her, the speed now almost tripled.</p><p>The Bounded Field was in fact Illya's hair threads wrapping around the entire area around the two, a network of wires anchored at various points on the ground to form the perimeter of the Bounded Field. The thin threads of hair were so thin as to be almost invisible, with only someone like Berserker with enhanced vision and optic nerves able to see them. Illya poured her magic to reinforce them to the utmost limits, turning them into ultra thin threads that were extremely strong while also possessing high elasticity. Using these threads that only she could spot, Berserker could jump on them and stretch them with her force, and then rebound off them with greater strength, reaching a wire on the opposite side and rebounding off it as well to gain more and more momentum until even Servants couldn't spot her at the speeds she was going at.</p><p>The threads also served as an invisible wall that could cut any Servants that pushed through them too quickly. Like how a paper could cut with a thin edge and dragging it across the skin fast enough, the hair worked similarly, reinforced and imbued with mystical strength that far exceeded anything capable of being produced by modern technology, its strength even greater than carbon fibers. It was also a purely physical obstruction in nature, despite the magical reinforcement applied to it, so Magic Resistance wouldn't dispel it or make it dissolve. Instead, just like how Magic Resistance couldn't cancel out the Reinforcement of combatants in their immediate area, so too did the thread retain its strengthened state. The cage enclosed the enemy, and boosted Berserker to great speeds unattainable by herself.</p><p>In addition, her boots were laced with Illya's hair, allowing her to contact the threads safely without being cut herself.</p><p>She began to shoot randomly in through the air, rebounding on each waiting thread as she sped up, becoming a black comet bouncing back and forth. The threads strained more and more with each bounce, the very air whipped into a frenzy as her body went fast enough to make the friction between the air and her body significant, large amounts of heat suddenly appearing from the air rubbing across her body.</p><p>On the ground, Lancer quickly decided to charge out, nudging her horse to dash out of the Bounded Field. She didn't understand the true nature of the Bounded Field, and fell for it.</p><p>*schlick*</p><p>The neck of her horse was cleanly cut through by the angel hair, it's neck and head dropping to the ground and dissipated into motes of light as it's body slumped to the ground , cut into several different parts. The head was missing part of it's right ear and the left nostril up to it's upper skull, the parts lying further to the left. Horse legs laid there, stained with blood scattered across the ground, and the internal organs could be clearly seen slowly sliding out of the sliced corpse. A few more seconds, and it was all gone, once more ether that returned to Lancer to recover and fully manifest again after a few days. As long as she lived, her mount would be able to regenerate, but she would be seriously inconvenienced in combat.</p><p>As was the case right now.</p><p>Berserker seized the moment she jumped off Llamrei to redirect towards her, taking a few seconds to rebound into the appropriate vector with the speeds she was going at, and then her blade was at Lancer's neck.</p><p>*TONG*</p><p>The lightsaber clashed with the black lance, the long spear resting on Lancer's shoulder just in time to block the strike that came from behind, the long and thick cone providing a shield that kept Lancer from having her head separated from her body. The few seconds that Berserker had needed to orient herself towards Lancer had given her enough time, but she was unable to withstand the force of the blow.</p><p>"Gah!"</p><p>Just like how Berserker had been thrown around earlier, Lancer slid forward, driving two troughs into the ground as she pushed against the ground with all her strength to stop herself from flying into the threads wrapping around the clearing formed by her charge. The strike had also slammed the lance into herself, a red spike on her lance stabbing through her armor to pierce a hole near her spine on her lower back.</p><p>As soon as she transferred the entire kinetic force of her blow into Lancer and blew her backwards, Berserker jumped back on the angel hair and resumed her charging, aiming to reach her top speed again.</p><p>"Hah, hah, hah."</p><p>Lancer knelt on the ground, her muscles trembling from blocking the Berserker's lightsaber with all the force accumulated behind it. Blood poured out of her back profusely, a trail of red staining the jagged black armor behind her.</p><p>She shifte the lance until it was pointing straight upwards, the handle half-sunken into the ground as she clasped it tightly with both hands, her eyes closed beneath her helm.</p><p>"Reveal thy true form."</p><p>Berserker abandoned her charging and shot straight towards her, but it was too late.</p><p>*ZWOOOM*</p><p>Far above in the sky, a massive tower of light shone as a majestic anchor, holding the fabric of reality together. Just like Gray's Rhongomyniad, it was a nail that pinned the layers of the surface firmly, ensuring the continued existence of humanity on the Earth. And this wasn't it's full manifestation either. It's full form would be a massive light tower that had rings of energy in a helix around it, reaching the atmosphere and piercing it, with a width of several cities combined. Yet, it's reduced form was enough to pierce through the angel hair and burnt it away as the threads loosened and fell onto the ground, no longer tightly intertwined. Even with the corruption of the grail, it simply turned a dull red, with no other visible differences from its usual form.</p><p>With Mana Burst fully active, Lancer glided into the sky, "riding" the tower all the way to the top as she flew into the sky, her legs bellowing large trails of red mana as they merged with the tower of magical energy that connected the sky and earth, almost like she was surfing up to the clouds alongside her Noble Phantasm.</p><p>She swiftly became a speck in the distance before her partially manifested Noble Phantasm dispelled, using mana bursts as jets to glide through the sky as she left the Einzbern territory, far above the snowy forest.</p><p>Berserker was thrown out of the immediate area by Rhongomyniad, but she remained mostly unharmed. Watching Lancer leave from the ground, she tracked her until she disappeared behind the mountains, before returning back to the mansion.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0042"><h2>42. Chapter 42</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 42</p><p>Returning to the church on foot in spiritual form, much like how Gilgamesh had traveled to the banquet of heroes, Lancer arrived there without incident. Only Kirei was in the church, Gilgamesh having gone out to avoid meeting with Lancer and raising her suspicions.</p><p>"Master, I have obtained a rough estimate of Berserker and her Master's capabilities."</p><p>Kirei continued looking at the altar, his hands clasped behind his back.</p><p>"Have you figured out their identity as well?"</p><p>"Unfortunately not, I was unable to do so. Although their apparel seemed unique, I was unable to identify them by it. However, they also had a unique sword, a glowing cylinder of light that hummed all the time. It seemed like something that would exist in this era. Would you possibly know something about it, Master?"</p><p>Despite being born in the modern era, Kirei had not partaken in most of the entertainment that the modern age offered, with reading being the closest thing he had to a hobby besides watching people suffer. As such, the closest contact he had with Star Wars was merely seeing some posters of it on the streets when it was aired in cinemas.</p><p>"Hmmm, a glowing cylinder as a blade? I must say, despite my many travels across the world in the service of the Church, I have yet to see such a mystic code or technology." Kirei paused, searching through his mind for any more hints. When he came up empty, he decided to leave it for later.</p><p>"We will have many opportunities to unveil their True Name in the future. Now, what did you learn?"</p><p>Lancer recounted everything she knew.</p><p>"Berserker possessed excellent physical parameters, with enough power to rival Saber, and an above average agility as well. Her combat prowess was exceptionally high, with enough skill to avoid being pierced while I was on horseback. In addition, even though she was Berserker, her Mad Enhancement skill didn't seem to affect her much, a rarity in her class. She was able to communicate with me normally, and was able to consciously incorporate tactics into our battle."</p><p>She paused, thinking about lightning and telekinesis.</p><p>"She also had the ability to manifest lightning and move objects through unknown means. She demonstrated proficient use in both abilities, able to use the lightning for both offense and defense, while she could also pull my swings at the last second so they became inaccurate, even when I accounted for it. She did not use her Noble Phantasm, but she is already a formidable enemy without it."</p><p>Kirei acknowledged it with a slight nod.</p><p>"And her Master?"</p><p>"The Einzbern Master supported her satisfactorily in combat by manipulating the local Bounded Field and creating a special one of her own make while we were fighting. The Bounded Field served as a platform to enhance Berserker's speed while making her more unpredictable, and it prevented my exit until I partially unleashed my spear. I wasn't able to completely understand the mechanics behind it, but regardless enough raw power was apparently sufficient to break through it."</p><p>Kirei lowered his head in thought.</p><p>"Hoh, it seems the Einzbern Master for this war may be more troublesome than the last."</p><p>He remembered the pure white hair, the guileless and determined blood-red eyes.</p><p>He spoke up again.</p><p>"Lancer, that is enough for now. Rest until your mount has regenerated. Until then, stay in this church. Tell me once you have regained your horse."</p><p>"As you command."</p><p>Lancer vanished from sight, turning back to her spiritual form. Kirei didn't even turn around to face her once, his imposing back the only sight that greeted her throughout the entire conversation.</p><p>Back at the Einzbern manor, Illya widened her eyes in shock.</p><p>"The priest has a Servant?"</p><p>The thread she latched on to her after she had broken through the Bounded Fields traced her all the way back to the church, then cut off the moment she entered the gate. She had been able to direct one thread to wrap around her head piece, and made it so loose as to not let her notice while constantly adjusting the length. When Lancer went into spiritual form, the thread wrapped around her had also turned into ether to ensure that it remained anchored onto her body. After an hour or so of constant concentration to prevent Lancer from discovering the tracker, the thread had been terminated when she entered the vicinity of the church.</p><p>Illya considered the implications. Since she had reached where the church was, she assumed that either the Master was based at the church, or the Master was the priest himself. She assumed that Lancer hadn't discovered the thread, or else she most probably would have ditched the tracker somewhere else instead of somewhere with significance like the church, unless her Master had ordered her to leave a false trail there. Regardless, the thread had so little mana, since it really was just a single thread of hair, and she was controlling the length from the manor by unspooling it there, the only moment where she might have sensed it being when she turned into spiritual form, but even then the reaction for the thread to turn into ether was also half-triggered by her dematerialization, and her change of state would have masked the transformation of the thread as well since she had synced the timing.</p><p>If the priest was the Master, she would be in for a tough fight. The overseer was known to have many Command Seals for the purpose of controlling other Servants in case of an infraction of the rules, and they were also able to give them to other Masters as rewards, such as for killing a bounty target like a rogue Servant. If the priest had a Servant, he would be able to power his Servant with multiple Command Seals for an advantage that would be difficult to overturn. He could also use the seals as a pseudo Magic Circuits to power himself, giving him an edge in duels between Masters, like how her own Magic Circuits fulfilled the role of Command Seals as well.</p><p>While it was possible the Master was simply affiliated with the church, she would hope for the best and prepare for the worst. The red marks of her Magic Circuits covering her skin faded as she cut the connection with the Bounded Fields that she had been repairing and checking at the same time.</p><p>"Master, have some anpan."</p><p>Illya automatically opened her mouth, Berserker pushed the bread into her mouth slightly, letting her bite off a piece, chewing and enjoying the red bean paste that mushed around her mouth for a bit, before swallowing the soft bread and paste together. Berserker feeding Illya and vice-versa was something that had become common after their torturous outing together into the Einzbern wasteyard, though with Berserker's appetite the latter happened far more.</p><p>"Berserker, good job, we're unbeatable when we work together!"</p><p>Illya smiled happily, beaming with joy at the success of their second battle when compared with their first. She was frustrated that she hadn't been able to finish them off, but she supposed it proved that her Servant was strong, to be able to fight so many Servants and come out on top. Not that she didn't already know that.</p><p>"Master, let's keep working hard, and play hard when the time comes."</p><p>"Yep, let's find a day to go into the city for sightseeing!"</p><p>Being locked in a castle for most of her life left her with a wanderlust for new sights, and she would love to look around the city and experience the culture that was her father's birthplace.</p><p>"Un, let's go there someday Master."</p>
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<a name="section0043"><h2>43. Chapter 43</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 43</p><p>The rest of the week passed uneventfully for Rin, her preparations for her own summoning complete.</p><p>Although she had seen one or two suspicious foreigners that had been acting strange in public. She was quite sure that the blonde foreigner with gray eyes was at least affiliated with a Master. There was also the muscular guy wearing shades all the time walking around in broad daylight with a scar across his face. When he walked past her, she could smell the scent of death off of him.</p><p>She hadn't seen the Einzbern Master yet, though they were guaranteed a spot in the Holy Grail War. As for the Matous, the last of the three families, she knew that Shinji had no Magic Circuits to speak of, and he doubted that Sakura Matou could become a Master with how she didn't really belong in the family. Still, she'd keep a look out at school for suspicious behaviour.</p><p>The remaining slots were filled in by other magi and the Clock Tower. So the people she had seen earlier were most likely from the Clock Tower and the independent magi.</p><p>As a Second Owner of the land, it was her duty to monitor the city and police rogue magi, but in the Holy Grail War exceptions had to be made. As of now, she had just kept her head down all the time to avoid scrutiny and continued her normal school life, biding her time until the time when her magical power peaked.</p><p>And the day had finally come.</p><p>Taking her time, she packed up her things and left school, making sure to avoid the student council room on her way out. For some reason, Ryuudou Issei had been especially active in persecuting her, like he was filled with energy every day. He had been even more diligent and active as the student council president of late, with even the teachers noticing it and praising him while worrying who would succeed him when he stepped down.</p><p>Passing the track and field venue, she saw the track team trio working hard, sweat flying from Kaede's body as she sprinted past the other girls and boys on the track. Near the edges of the track, Kane was resetting the bar after knocking it down while practicing her high jump. Yukika went back and forth between the members of the entire track and field team, carrying bottles of water and towels for everyone to use. A slight grin tugged at her face when she saw them, but she quickly turned back around to leave.</p><p>"Tohsaka-san."</p><p>A stern voice called out to her while she was wrapped up in her own thoughts. Stopping in place, she turned around to face the teacher.</p><p>"I noticed your attention seemed to be wavering in class today. Are you alright?"</p><p>Rin blinked in surprise. It was true that she was getting nervous about the summoning ceremony, but she was sure that her facade had been fool-proof. Was there a crack in her persona somewhere? Also, there seemed to be something off about his left arm. Was it… Ah, she still had to go home to make preparations. It would be best for her to head home for now and end the conversation fast.</p><p>"No, I'm fine Souichirou-sensei."</p><p>She replied quickly and left the school grounds, eager to get back home.</p><p>Behind her, Kuzuki watched her go.</p><p>While she was leaving, she spotted a certain red-haired boy carrying a mop and a bucket into the archery dojo. Jeez, what a nice guy. Truly, the unofficial school janitor, cleaning the club room even after quitting it. She took no more notice of him and walked home.</p><p>Perhaps waking up early in the morning had left her slightly off-kilter. She had no idea why the clocks had suddenly decided to shift forward by half an hour, but she suspected it had to do with her opening the box left to her by her father. She had felt a wave of mana emanate from it after opening it, but hadn't noticed any significant changes to herself or the environment. She had checked the box for magical protection and enchantments beforehand, but it was likely the enchantment was disguised as a minor preservation spell on the box, which made her miss it.</p><p>Hopefully nothing else went wrong for her summoning. After studying his instructions for so long and preparing the appropriate gems, she couldn't fail. Even without a catalyst, she would summon Saber!</p><p>The rest of the day passed by in a blur as she made the final preparations, reusing the ritual circle in the attic as she moved the furniture until she was satisfied there was enough space, then she liquefied the gems until they filled the ritual circle, drawing silver lines on the ground as the circle started glowing the precious materials filling it guaranteeing her summon from one of the three knight classes.</p><p>Checking the clock one last time, she confirmed the time for when her mana would peak.</p><p>Raising her hand clad in the long sleeves of her favourite red turtleneck, she flicked her right twintail backwards.</p><p>"Yosh, let's do this."</p><p>Stretching out her arm while standing in the middle of the circle, she recited the chant.</p><p>Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone.</p><p>The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg.</p><p>The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Shut (fill).</p><p>Repeat every five times.</p><p>Simply, shatter once filled.</p><p>――――I announce.</p><p>Your self is under me, my fate(doom) is in your sword.</p><p>In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.</p><p>Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.</p><p>You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance ―――！</p><p>Red light filled the attic, the circle glowing as red mana drifted upwards, raising her twintails and fluttering her skirt. The moment she finished the chant, the glow abruptly stopped. Falling to her knees in exhaustion, she raised her hand and glanced at the Command Seals etched onto her right hand, two circles with a line drawn towards her elbow.</p><p>"That was flawless! I knew I drew the best card from the deck!"</p><p>She looked around expectantly, turning to the left and right to spot her Servant.</p><p>"Hoi?"</p><p>*BOOM*</p><p>A crash sounded from below her, the attic shaking with the impact.</p><p>"WHY!?"</p>
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<a name="section0044"><h2>44. Chapter 44</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 44</p><p>Sprinting down the stairs and hallways, she rushed to the living room that was the source of the crash. Jiggling the door knob on the door to the living room, she found it to be jammed.</p><p>"Damn it!"</p><p>*boom!*</p><p>Reinforcing her leg, she kicked through the door and stumbled into the living room. The moment she raised her head, she was greeted with the sight of a man seated on the debris of her former living room, now in shambles from the summoning.</p><p>Her eyes were immediately drawn to his pure white hair, a natural white that was not the result of dyeing. Skin the color of tanned leather was visible on his face and hands. Even sitting down, she could still tell he was relatively tall. Red cloth wrapped around his arms, shoulders and waist, while black body armor covered his chest and torso, silver lines tracing his muscles on it. A metal plate on his collar glimmered slightly under the light, as well as the two metal knobs on his hands and another plate connecting the red skirt around his waist. Straps circled his black trousers at regular intervals, ending in to black metal plated shoes that seemed to be attached to the trousers.</p><p>Tohsaka idly noted that his face wasn't too bad either, close to the cool older type that she liked, to say nothing of his musculature.</p><p>His eyes opened a moment after she crashed in, revealing dull gray eyes filled with experience. He took one look at his Master, and then smirked while closing his right eye.</p><p>Then Tohsaka noticed the broken grandfather clock behind him.</p><p>"Ahhh, all the clocks were an hour fast!"</p><p>She sank to her knees and clutched her head.</p><p>"Why do I keep messing up at the most crucial of times? Father..."</p><p>Then she remembered that she had still managed to successfully summoned a Servant, and turned back to him.</p><p>"Well? Who are you?"</p><p>Archer lazily gestured his hand at her.</p><p>"That's the first thing you say to me? Good grief, seems like I've been drawn by an interesting Master. Perhaps I drew the short straw this time."</p><p>Tohsaka got back on her feet and walked towards him.</p><p>"Are you my Servant?"</p><p>"And are you my Master?"</p><p>Archer shot back at her smoothly.</p><p>"When I was summoned, you weren't present."</p><p>Tohsaka arched an eyebrow.</p><p>"You're a Servant, not a baby don't imprint on the first person you lay your eyes on."</p><p>She sighed.</p><p>"Well, whatever. I'm just asking if you're my Servant or not. Our relationship should be clearly defined immediately."</p><p>Archer stared at her evenly.</p><p>"I agree, but can you prove you're my Master?"</p><p>At this, Rin raised her right hand for him to see.</p><p>"This is my proof."</p><p>His gray eyes locked on her Seals, widening. Then he closed his eyes and tilted his head forward in acceptance.</p><p>"Hmph, you seem to have misunderstood. I wanted to know if you're someone worthy of my loyalty."</p><p>Tohsaka wrinkled her forehead in confusion at his words.</p><p>"Hah? You think I'm not good enough for you?"</p><p>"Of course. But I'll still call you Master, on one condition."</p><p>He stood up and walked right up to Rin.</p><p>"I'll be giving the orders here. No matter what you say, I'll ignore it. I trust you have no qualms with that."</p><p>With that said, he went back down to the ruined furniture and sat down on it.</p><p>Rin stood in place, mulling over his words.</p><p>"So you'll still call me Master, but you won't listen to me?"</p><p>"Yes. We may be bound by a contract, but the bond is only a superficial one. Hence, I'll only be your Servant on the surface."</p><p>He shifted back into his original position on the furniture, leaning back on the damaged couch.</p><p>"I'll be giving the orders around here. Until the War ends, I suggest you hide in the basement."</p><p>He smirked.</p><p>"Even someone like you should be able to stay alive like that."</p><p>Rin lowered her head as her body trembled.</p><p>"Oh, have I angered you? I have nothing but respect for your office however, and I was summoned to win for my Master. If I win, all the spoils will go to you as well. So wouldn't you agree that this is the best course of action?"</p><p>Rin bit her lip as blood filled her mouth, the bitter iron taste flooding her tongue.</p><p>"That's all. Just leave everything to me and take care of yourself."</p><p>"After all, I don't expect anything from you."</p><p>Rin broke.</p><p>She stamped the ground and yelled as her face twisted into a furious scowl.</p><p>"You bastard! I'm mad now!"</p><p>She raised her right hand and grasped it firmly with her left.</p><p>"If that's how you want it, then FINE! I'll use this on you!"</p><p>"Anfang!"</p><p>"You can't-"</p><p>"I will!"</p><p>"You insufferable lout!"</p><p>She closed her eyes and focused.</p><p>"Vertrag...Ein neuer Nagel…"</p><p>"Wait, stop it right now Master!"</p><p>"Ein neues Gesetz...Ein neues Gesetz…"</p><p>He stood up, his body tense as she continued to chant.</p><p>"Don't be so frivolous!"</p><p>"Ein neues Verbrechen!"</p><p>"No Master would do something so-"</p><p>"Shut up!</p><p>She opened her eyes and glared at him.</p><p>"You're my Servant! Understand?"</p><p>She raised her right hand high above her.</p><p>"That means absolute obedience to me!"</p><p>A wave of red light pulsed out of her hand, passing through Archer and making his body glow for a moment. A mark faded from his hand as the large red outer circle disappeared. Her hand remained in the air as he started berating her.</p><p>"Think things through! Why would you use a Command Seal on something so vague?"</p><p>Rin blushed as she realized what she had done after her anger abated, looking away from Archer's face.</p><p>"L-let's take this elsewhere. Follow me."</p><p>Turning around, she left the room as Archer followed behind her, both of them stewing in various emotions.</p>
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<a name="section0045"><h2>45. Chapter 45</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 45</p><p>Rin led him to her bedroom, then sat on the edge.</p><p>A moment of silence passed between them.</p><p>The man standing near the bed spoke up first.</p><p>"Hm, I understand what kind of person you are now."</p><p>"Eh?"</p><p>Rin blinked and looked at him, eyes wide.</p><p>Instead of responding to her confusion, he asked her another question.</p><p>"Just to be clear, you understand the importance of the three Command Seals right?"</p><p>Tohsaka narrowed her eyes and glared at him, before looking away to hide her blush when recalling what she had done just moments ago.</p><p>"O-Of course! The three Command Seals are the Master's power to absolutely control a Servant, irresistibly compelling them to perform a certain action."</p><p>Emiya closed his eyes and nodded.</p><p>"Yes, that's true. However, I seem to have underestimated you."</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"Normally, a Command Seal wouldn't be able to achieve the effect of absolute obedience from the Servant, as the more vaguely worded the Command Seal is, and the broader the meaning, the harder it is to work. In fact, even a hundred Command Seals wouldn't be able to instil true obedience."</p><p>This was the reason why Kirei had chosen to corrupt Lancer instead of demanding absolute obedience, despite the higher than average amount of Command Seals that he possessed.</p><p>"However, it seems that you are an excellent magus."</p><p>Rin tilted her head at his praise.</p><p>"Your Command Seal placed a deep compulsion within me to obey your words, and going against them would affect my parameters."</p><p>Rin raised her fingers to her chin and curled her index finger underneath it to adopt her thinking pose.</p><p>"So in essence you can defy me, but you'll be weakened?"</p><p>"Yes, all due to your quality as a magus. It seems that I've underestimated you, so from now on I'll respect your decisions and acknowledge you as my Master. Despite your age, you have the abilities of a capable magus."</p><p>Rin turned away with a small "hmph!" to hide her blush again, turning to the window.</p><p>"The contract now properly connects us, you should be able to feel it. From now on, I will be your Servant until we die or win the war."</p><p>Rin closed her eyes and raised her hands to her chest, driving her senses deep into her body. Just like being submerged in water, she could see her crest, a glowing, wriggling fish of sharp lines, and a trail of incandescent sapphire bubbles leading to Archer. In truth, this was simply a metaphor for her brain to understand it, but she could finally solidly grasp the connection between her and her Servant.</p><p>Opening her eyes once more, she acknowledged the bond between them.</p><p>"There's no doubt you're a first class mage with the amount of mana you're supplying to me."</p><p>Archer's words made Rin stand up and cross her arms while glaring at him to hide her embarrassment.</p><p>"It's too late for flattery now."</p><p>Then she remembered something crucial that she needed to ask him.</p><p>"Ah, are you a Saber?"</p><p>Archer shook his head.</p><p>"As you can see, I have no sword."</p><p>Rin raised a palm to her forehead and sighed. The thought of wasting all those gems earlier weighed on her heart.</p><p>"Mou, to think that even after using all those gems, I still couldn't get Saber. What a letdown."</p><p>She glanced back at Archer.</p><p>"Still, the fault lies with me. It was my mistake as a magus."</p><p>Archer turned his back to her.</p><p>"Master, one day I'll make you eat those words. And when you come to apologize to me, I won't forgive." Absolute self-confidence underlined those words as his toned back was silhouetted in the moonlight, the red mantle a dull crimson in the pale illumination.</p><p>Rin looked at him for a moment before playfully prancing to his front and smiling at his stern face.</p><p>"You'd better make those words come true. When that day comes, I'll apologize to you as much as you want."</p><p>The stone faced man broke into a slight grin as the two started their journey as Servant and Master in the Fifth Holy Grail War.</p><p>"Alright, I'll go take a bath then."</p><p>Archer followed her out of the room.</p><p>On the way down to the bathroom, Rin suddenly turned around and asked him.</p><p>"By the way, what is your identity?"</p><p>Archer stopped in place, closing his eyes to think for a moment, before shaking his head in resignation.</p><p>"It's no use, I don't remember who I am. It seems the botched summoning ritual you performed affected my memories."</p><p>"Hah! How am I supposed to plan our battles if I don't know how strong you are?"</p><p>She gripped the bannister as she let out a small outburst at Archer's answer.</p><p>Archer simply replied calmly.</p><p>"It doesn't matter who I am. I was summoned by you, so I must be one of the strongest."</p><p>At that, Rin blushed for the fifth time since summoning him. Turning around, she brought her fingers to her chin.</p><p>"I-I guess that's true. And if even the Master doesn't know the Servant's identity, then surely no one else will be able to figure it out."</p><p>With that, she pushed the mystery of his identity to the back of her head.</p><p>"Ah, one more thing, I have your first assignment for you Archer."</p><p>Archer unconsciously stood straighter as his mouth curved into a smirk, looking forward to facing his opponent.</p><p>"Who will be your first enemy Mas-"</p><p>He paused to catch the broom and dustpan thrown at him.</p><p>"Clean up the living room Archer. Since you made that mess, it's only right you clean it up yourself."</p><p>She made no mention of the fact of the root cause being her own summoning.</p><p>Archer stared at her, his body rigid as he held the broom and dustpan in both hands, eyes wide and mouth slightly open.</p><p>"Master, do you know what Servants are?"</p><p>"They're familiars right? Though they seem to talk back a lot and are more annoying than usual."</p><p>Archer closed his eyes and sighed, dipping his head in submission.</p><p>"Fine. Damn you Master."</p><p>"Thanks! I'll see the results of your mission tomorrow!"</p><p>With that, Rin went to take a quick shower and change for sleep, while Archer started on the monumental task of not only cleaning the living room, but also repairing the broken furniture, walls and broken window panes.</p>
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<a name="section0046"><h2>46. Chapter 46</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 46</p><p>The next morning came soon, sunlight filtering through the glass to light up her room. Lazily opening one eye, she grumbled and twisted in the covers, one hand stretching out from the comforting embrace of the sheets to silence the incessant ringing from her alarm clock. After spending five more minutes lying motionlessly on the bed, she grudgingly shuffled out of it, sticking one leg out, then using her arms to drag the other one out. The moment her bare feet touched the cool floor, she hissed slightly, immediately seeking out her warm fuzzy slippers.</p><p>Slipping her feet deep inside once she found them, she shuffled to the bathroom in a daze, going through her usual routine. Along the way while walking through the house, she noticed that the house seemed to be, brighter, for a lack of a better word. It seemed like everything was well taken care of, like everything had been recently cleaned and reordered. Despite the enchantments she normally used for the upkeep of the house, it had never felt like this before.</p><p>After a while, she reached the living room and saw Archer standing on the pristine floor, everything back in place in its original spot. For a moment, she stood there in a daze, taking in the spotless living room.</p><p>"Is this to your satisfaction Master?"</p><p>Archers allowed a slight measure of smugness to enter his voice as he smirked at her, letting her take her time in admiring the fully cleaned living room. The tables and glass panes sparkled under the sunlight that came from the clear skies outside, without a single speck of dust remaining. The furniture was all back in place, the tears, cracks and missing pieces all gone, as if it was never there in the first place. Even the complex mechanisms of the grandfather clock were back in place, the hands ticking like usual, and the ceiling was immaculate.</p><p>"Are you sure you're part of the Archer class?"</p><p>After gazing at the living room dumbly for a full five minutes, Rin finally managed to muster a response, wondering how did he pull this off. Even if he had used magic, it still didn't seem possible to restore it to such a degree.</p><p>"As an Archer, I had to take care of my own equipment on the field. The skills acquired back then allow me to fix many things and clean properly."</p><p>Rin stared at him in disbelief for another moment, before heading to the sofa to take a seat.</p><p>Without missing a beat, the moment she sat down, he poured a cup of tea from the white porcelain teapot for her, the warm amber liquid streaming from the delicate ceramic to flow into the dainty cup without spilling a single drop outside. Steam rose in a small cloud, the surface of the liquid twinkling under the light.</p><p>Reaching for the cup, Rin held the cup and took a small sip from the hot tea.</p><p>"It's good."</p><p>Surprised once more, she stared at the cup in wonder. Normally, she only used tea bags to make her tea, dumping them straight into hot water and then waiting for them to suffuse the liquid with flavour.</p><p>But this, this tasted like something someone would make after carefully picking the best leaves at the perfect moment and then wringing every drop of flavor from them. It was sublime when compared to her usual fare.</p><p>Standing besides her, Archer's insufferably arrogant face grew more and more smug from his Master's reactions.</p><p>"Knock it off."</p><p>She was slightly put off by it. His smirk receded slightly.</p><p>The rest of breakfast was also prepared by him, a traditional Japanese breakfast that was different from her usual Western-style meal. A bowl of steaming rice with fermented vegetables, hot miso soup and steamed tofu. Despite her reluctance at eating something so far from her usual breakfast, she dug in, and after a few bites she eagerly scarfed down everything. The ingredients seemed to harmonize with each other, enticing her taste buds while making everything easy to swallow. She felt good after eating it, ready to start her day at a moment's notice.</p><p>"Archer, I'm going back to school now. Go into spiritual form and stay outside of the school to keep watch. If anything happens in school, I'll tell you to come."</p><p>"Understood."</p><p>Rin left the house wearing her signature red coat over her school uniform, with Archer following close behind her.</p><p>They were walking down the street when a boy wearing their school's uniform ran past, brushing past her in the process.</p><p>"Ah, sorry!"</p><p>Without looking back, he yelled his apologies and continued running to school.</p><p>What was he running for? It wasn't even remotely close to the school's homeroom time yet. Then Rin felt something in her coat pocket. Reaching in one hand while being cautious of any sudden threats, she Reinforced her hand and felt inside her pocket.</p><p>It turned out to be a piece of paper folded neatly into a small square. Looking around, she saw no one else who'd recognize her, and then went into a small alley on the side. Slowly unfolding it, she read the contents of the note.</p><p>"Meet us behind the storage shed after school closes for a possible alliance. -Master of Assassin"</p><p>After reading it thrice, and then giving it to Archer for him to double check she wasn't missing anything, she pulled a small amount of od and lit a small flame on her index finger, lighting up the note and burning it to ashes, scattering it to the wind.</p><p>"Archer, we're going to be staying late after school today."</p><p>Archer looked at her.</p><p>"Even if it's a trap, we still have to go. An alliance with another Master would serve us well, even if it falls apart later on in the war."</p><p>He regarded her for another moment, then nodded, returning to spiritual form.</p><p>They went to school as usual, Rin going through the motions like nothing was out of the ordinary. Although some other students were acting strangely. Issei was still incredibly upbeat and energetic, while Sakura seemed to be deep in thought and distracted a lot. When she was carrying papers for the teacher in the hallway, she ran into a door and dropped them all, forcing Tohsaka to help her out of concern.</p><p>"Are you alright Sakura-san?"</p><p>"Ah, I'm fine Senpai."</p><p>She quickly picked up the papers with Rin and took her leave, but it left Rin with a nagging suspicion in her heart.</p><p>What was even more strange was that Shinji seemed to have undergone a remarkable change overnight. He was still outgoing and talkative, but somehow he had lost some of his arrogant confidence that followed him like the stench of a skunk. Instead, he almost seemed humble at times, and seemed very satisfied for some reason. Ayako had confided in her that he was now attending the club regularly, actually providing useful tips to his kouhais in the archery club, and that he was noticeably more engaged in archery as well.</p><p>Well, he wasn't someone she really needed to be concerning herself about, so she pushed him to the back of her mind.</p><p>It wasn't long before the sun started setting in the sky, the students in clubs staying late until they absolutely had to leave before the school gates closed. There hadn't been many incidents in the past few days, besides the meteor shower at Ryuudou-jii that was really just a freak accident, at least to the public. The warehouse battle had been covered up by El-Melloi as well, completely hiding it from society.</p><p>Rin checked around the school while the students were filtering out of the school gate, looking for traces of a Master in the school. It didn't hurt to be careful after all. Even if the Master hid their mana signature, there were still other traces and hints that could be found. But besides Sakura's usual signature, she couldn't find anything else. She certainly had felt something strange in the school at various points, but she couldn't pinpoint it to anyone. It was actually due to Kuzuki and Shinji's weak abilities as maguses, to the point of being nonexistent on Rin's mental radar despite their contracts with Servants. Sakura was only in charge of supplying magical energy, and technically didn't have a contract with one, so Rin didn't sense anything out of normal from her either. The book of False Attendant was constructed to throw off most maguses, especially the Tohsaka's and Einzberns, since Matou Zouken knew they were participating and was familiar with their magecraft. As such, even though Shinji brought it to school, Rin still couldn't find it even after casting gem magecraft on the rooftop.</p><p>Day turned into night, and the meeting time came. Tohsaka was forced to wait behind the gym for them to come, with no actual specified time for them to appear.</p><p>They didn't have to wait long. With the sun dipping below the horizon, a blur came hurtling over the concrete and metal walls of the school, landing on the dirt with a mere whisper.</p><p>A blue jersey wearing girl set down the cloaked grey haired girl, the two of them so alike they were almost twins. At the sight of the two, Rin narrowed her eyes. She had heard of the Edelfelt crest possessing a sorcery trait of Ore Scales, allowing the summoning of two aspects of the same Servant with a single Master slot. If they looked so alike, it was possible these were sisters. She was fairly sure however, that the jersey wearing one was a Servant, despite her modern attire. Then, was the gray haired one perhaps a descendant?</p><p>Behind her in spiritual form, Archer's eyes widened at the sight of them, before he regained his composure. He had seen descendants of Artoria before during his deployments by Alaya, so it wasn't that big of a shock to him. He was also aware of the existence of different Artorias in the Throne of Heroes.</p><p>Schoolgirl Artoria was a surprise for him though, and not exactly an unwelcome one either.</p><p>"My name is Tohsaka Rin, the Second Owner of the land, Master of Archer in the Fifth Holy Grail War."</p><p>Rin stood in front of them with her arms crossed, addressing them with a firm tone while Archer materialized behind her, standing at attention.</p><p>"Gray Pendragon from the Clock Tower, Master of Assassin."</p><p>The young girl inclined her head towards the other Master, bowing slightly. Tohsaka accepted the gesture with a nod, then got down to business while wearing her best poker face.</p><p>"Are you asking for an alliance with me?'</p><p>Gray nodded, then took a breath to explain everything.</p><p>"We have reason to suspect that the Hol-"</p><p>*BOOM*</p><p>Assassin carried Gray and jumped out of the way as Archer gripped Tohsaka around the waist and did the same, a crater appearing where the two of them had been standing. Archer landed on top of a nearby school building, while Assassin reached the other side of the road just outside of the school walls.</p><p>Scanning the area, both of them spotted the knight riding a pale horse standing in the crater, a red lance whirring and spinning. Dark armor covered the knights entire body, even their face, and a sinister miasma coated their weapon.</p><p>"Assassin, is this your-"</p><p>"NO! We were ambushed as well!"</p><p>El-Melloi realized that this could become a grave misunderstanding and quickly instructed Gray to inform them that this newcomer wasn't their ally. Thankfully, they had gone over possible scenarios, and being ambushed by a third-party was one of them.</p><p>"Let's fight together to take him down!"</p><p>After a moment of deliberation, Tohsaka replied.</p><p>"All right, Archer fight with Assassin!"</p><p>It would certainly be easier to fight with 2 on 1 instead of being ganged up on by the newcomer and Assassin. She could also gauge their willingness to commit to the alliance as well, and she knew Archer would still be watching his back for any potential betrayals.</p><p>El-Melloi sighed in relief. Hopefully they could take advantage of this fight to cement the alliance between them and the Tohsaka's, and if they could take out a Servant here as well, then all the better. It would be much easier to study the Grail and identify any potential defects with the expertise of the Three Families.</p><p>Readying her sword, Assassin's ahoge twitched as she prepared to face the dark knight, feeling a familiar presence in her opponent. Archer traced Kanshou and Bakuya as well, pushing aside the question of Assassin's identity for later. That lance though...wasn't that hers as well? His confusion mounted as he wondered what kind of Holy Grail War exactly had he been summoned for. Shaking his head, he gripped his blades and focused on the battle ahead, clearing his mind to fight at his best for his Master. The dark knight readied her lance, her horse pawing at the ground eagerly for the imminent confrontation.</p><p>A lone red-haired boy stood at the windows, his attention caught by the explosion earlier.</p>
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<a name="section0047"><h2>47. Chapter 47</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 47</p><p>Hopping to the left and right, Assassin dodged the charging horse nimbly while scoring shallow slashes on the horse's flanks. Within the cramped space in the school around the storage shed, the horse was unable to reach top speed, and this suited Assassin with her high rank of agility. She was able to leap out of the way of her charges and maneuver around her easily, her legs rapidly moving as she sidestepped and jumped behind her as Lancer slowed down her horse to turn around.</p><p>Kirei had expressly forbidden Lancer to cause property destruction in public areas unless absolutely necessary. Hence, she was forced to swerve and slow down to avoid crashing through the buildings, unlike in the Einzbern forest where she could charge with wild abandon, giving no thought to any consequences.</p><p>*Shink!*</p><p>The tip of Assassin's blade scraped across the back of Lancer's armor, drawing a long scratch across the back as Lancer leaned forward and spurred Llamrei to run forward, avoiding a lethal injury. Seeing the disadvantage they were at, she spun around to the gap of the buildings and prepared to move the battlefield elsewhere.</p><p>"Gallop!"</p><p>*HaSHISSS*</p><p>Red arrows split the air as they rained down in front of her, blocking her path, drawing a line on the ground as they headed towards her.</p><p>She raised her lance at the hail of arrows flying towards her, the body of the lance spinning and creating a vortex of dark miasma that rotated around her weapon. The mana core in her body hummed to life, the heart of a dragon stoking the flames of magic to suit her whims.</p><p>Like leaves in a hurricane, the arrows were swept aside by the great lance, red streaks of light chewed into splinters by the roaring spear. Yet Archer continued to fire at he, the red arrows pelting her in vain.</p><p>"Useless."</p><p>But just as she was about to break through towards the open center of the school grounds, the air rippled in front of her, blue portals with neon blue lines along the edge ripping open space to create a path for the supporting fire from the Dun Stallion II to reach the enemy. Blue bolts of plasma fire with an average width of a fridge burst out of the holes and raced forward, three of them from the front while two other shots came from the right and left.</p><p>Without breaking a sweat under the combined fire of both Assassin's and Archer's firepower, she made Llamrei jump backwards, the horse bending its knees and prancing backwards while the lance and the energy stored in it acted as a propellant, Lancer further activating mana burst through it to send them flying backwards. The unexpected movement, normally achievable with horses, let her escape from Archer as he was unable to adjust his aim in time to compensate for their sudden dash backwards, while the bolts of plasma converged on one spot and exploded, leaving a molten crater in the ground.</p><p>Llamrei's hooves dug four long furrows on the gravelly pavement, his tail brushing against the cool metal of the school gate as they stopped right at the secondary entrance.</p><p>"Archer, prepare to strike!"</p><p>Assassin yelled at him, her blue scarf trailing behind her as she ran towards Lancer, one hand swiping on the controller for the Dun Stallion II, while the other hand held Secretcalibur in a reverse grip, her ahoge rock steady despite the speed she was moving at.</p><p>Several portals opened up, particle beams blazing through the air straight at Lancer, her back pressed to the school gate. On the roof of the school building, Archer lowered his bow and stretched out one hand.</p><p>"Trace on."</p><p>Lancer channeled the energy of her mana core into her steed, the skill Mana Burst channeled through her riding skill and granting strength to Llamrei.</p><p>"Heavenward!"</p><p>The ground melted and buckled as crimson streams of mana burst from the four hooves, then in a flash both rider and horse were flying into the sky, a brilliant trail of red particles left behind in their path.</p><p>The energy beams below them destroyed the school gate and punched massive holes clean through it, creating several new potholes in the road.</p><p>"I am the bone of my sword."</p><p>The cone shaped sword twisted into a spiral as it spun into a slimmer form, the body and handle stretching until it could barely be called an arrow.</p><p>"Caladbolg."</p><p>*krk*</p><p>Lines of black ran across its length, the sword becoming Broken. Without saying more, Archer placed the arrow on his black bow and nocked the arrow, drawing it past his cheek until the metallic fletch of the arrow was just behind his ear. Drawing on the breathing techniques he learned while living, he drew in a deep breath.</p><p>Inhale.</p><p>Exhale.</p><p>*shwish*</p><p>The arrow flew with a whisper, yet the power behind it was undeniable. The posture of a man who had mastered kyuudou, the perfect arrow that would always pierce the target as the entire being became focused on one goal. This alone was enough for Archer to qualify for the class container he currently inhabited.</p><p>But while the arrow's flight through the air was mostly silent, the arrow itself was not. The arrow started generating a spin, a trail left behind it as the front of the arrow started distorting, the space continually twisted until it became a spiral that could penetrate through even Noble Phantasms, the rainbow sword of destruction once used by the famed Irish hero Fergus Mac Róich.</p><p>Lancer spotted the arrow heading towards her like a rocket, but it was coming too fast for her to dodge, so there was only one choice. To meet it head on.</p><p>A cone of swirling darkness and purple miasma plummeted from the sky, her Mana Burst redirected to face the sky as propulsion downwards. Red torrents of scarlet licked the inky sky as mana flew from her back like flames, her eyes set with determination as her spear spun with ever-greater speed, the arrow dead set on meeting the black and red comet descending towards it.</p><p>The black cracks along the arrow started glowing, red light leaking through the hairline fractures. The spinning went faster and faster until it became a high-pitched scream piercing through the night, the arrow shaking as it struggled to stay cohesive.</p><p>Archer gazed upwards as his arrow met the spear of the end.</p><p>Further below him, Assassin prepared her controller as she too watched the confrontation in the skies.</p><p>What felt like minutes for both Grey and Rin was instead mere seconds as they shielded their eyes from the bright light that lit up the sky like a second sun as the arrow finally exploded.</p><p>*WHOOOM*</p><p>The very air itself was consumed as the pure energy from the A rank Broken Phantasm turned into plasma, before that too faded away in the air. A massive white corona lit up the sky.</p><p>Both Masters shielded their eyes from the brightness, while the two servants ignored it with their superhuman vision, focused on finding their target.</p><p>"A good try, but still not enough."</p><p>Floating in the air, with nary a scratch upon her and her horse, was Lancer, her steed spraying jets of mana to stay aloft.</p><p>"Steel yourselves, Archer and Assassin!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0048"><h2>48. Chapter 48</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 48</p><p>A shaft of darkness darker than the night sky split the clouds and rushed at Archer and his Master, the clouds gathering and covering the moon as lightning started to clash in the skies.</p><p>Tonight, the Wild Hunt would find their prey.</p><p>Below her, Emiya murmured unconsciously.</p><p>"The King of Storms…"</p><p>Over the course of his human life, he had scoured many archives, libraries and databases in search of information regarding King Arthur and her legend, in hopes of finding a way to reach her. While it was all for nothing, he had still remembered many interesting facets of her legend, as well as many lesser known tidbits and offshoots of her story.</p><p>She who held the Holy Lance was the King of Storms, the one who led the Wild Hunt.</p><p>While others could contest the title as well, such as Francis Drake, Cain the first murderer and even Odin the chief god of Norse mythology, it was indisputable that the wielder of the spear that contained the tower shining at the ends of the world was qualified to become the leader. Now, she called on that little known side of her legend, the weather twisting to suit her whims as a storm gathered in the formerly clear skies.</p><p>Far away in the Einzbern mansion, Illya watched the battle intently.</p><p>In a quiet temple, Caster gazed uneasily at the gathering clouds while sweeping the leaves, Kuzuki in his shared room correcting his students school work with his remaining arm.</p><p>Rider paused in the middle of educating Shinji, looking at the window and at the gray clouds while his sweat soaked body trembling as he held the same pose he had been holding for the past ten minutes.</p><p>"W-What is it?"</p><p>Despite his obvious fatigue, his furiously red face and slightly parted lips that panted heavily seemed to suggest a certain level of enjoyment.</p><p>Rider looked back down on the Master she was sitting on.</p><p>"Sixty more pushups for speaking instead of conserving your breath."</p><p>"Eh?!"</p><p>"Twenty more tomorrow in addition to the usual."</p><p>Back at the school, the storm fully enveloped the skies above the school, the wind howling as fiercely as it did when there was a blizzard at the Einzbern castle, red lightning flashing in the sky as thunder rumbled and roared. Rain droplets that were small but heavy fell incessantly, instantly soaking Rin to the bone. Gray was forced to jump from the dirt and onto the asphalt road as the dirt became mud and sucked her boots in, hindering her movement.</p><p>In the midst of the chaotic weather, Lancer gazed at her opponents on the ground dispassionately.</p><p>"Llamrei, go forth. The Wild Hunt will REAP!"</p><p>No sooner had she spoken the last word when her horse whinnied and reared up, the lightning flashing behind her and silhouetting her figure. The moment he came back down, lightning struck his legs, the Mana Burst strengthened by several magnitudes as the dark clouds gathered around her spinning spear, the skies turning into one massive vortex that sucked the lightning and miasma originally circling her spear and combining them into a tornado with proportions that dwarfed the entire school. Purple and red laced through the clouds, with lightning occasionally lightning up sections of the twister, the wind reaching a crescendo as it turned into an unholy screeching that wormed its way into Rin, Gray's and the two Servant's ears.</p><p>Originally, her power as the King of Storm's only magnified her strength by half and gave her the ability to summon lightning strikes, even in her altered Lancer form, since it wasn't really a prominent part of her legends. However, in this timeline multiple versions of her were summoned, creating a resonance effect that verified their legends, making each part of them equally true and thus part of their Saint Graph since they all came from different backgrounds and legends. Hence, the moment of life or death when Caladbolg had almost annihilated her helped her instinctively reach deep down and unlock the power of the true King of Storms, the undefeated commander's Authority allowing her to weather the blast of an A-rank Broken Phantasm in combination with Blessings from the End of the World and her unbreakable spear.</p><p>With her lance pointed at Archer and Assassin, she charged.</p><p>*SHAAAA-BOOM-SHA*</p><p>The howling of the wind interspersed with the thunder, the rain pelting Archer as he grimly raised his hand and prepared his strongest defense. The area of effect was too large to avoid as Lancer sought to destroy the entire school, her ability sure to cause large-scale damage that could possibly expose the Grail War as well if he didn't block it. Grudgingly, he admitted that it was smart to use the concealing of the mystics rule in such a manner to keep him in place. While he could possibly bring his Master to safety, his Master would still command him to stay in place, since if magecraft was revealed to the world, the consequences would be disastrous owing to how magecraft worked.</p><p>"Archer, do you have a way to block it?"</p><p>Rin could tell he was prepared to do something, even with the rain and wind obscuring her sight and hearing.</p><p>"What kind of Servant would I be if I couldn't block a single attack?"</p><p>His firm voice reached her through the howling gales, steadying her nerves in the face of their imminent doom.</p><p>*Splish*</p><p>Behind them, Grey and Assassin landed on the rooftop.</p><p>"Tohsaka-san! I think I may be able to block the blast if I activate Rhongomyniad, but we need a way to block the excess mana spraying everywhere during the collision. Assassin's fire support can only do so-"</p><p>"Leave it to Archer."</p><p>Rin trusted her Servant. If he said he could do it, he would do it. His slick hair gleamed under the occasional lightning as he stood on the rooftop, the hardened muscles accentuated by the rivulets of water flowing down his back.</p><p>Grey hesitated, before nodding.</p><p>"I shall begin."</p><p>"Gray (be dark) ... Rave (do surface)"</p><p>The cube rose into the air started glowing, the winds not even budging it in the slightest.</p><p>" ... Crave (do desire) ... Deprave (let corrupt)"</p><p>Light glowed from the cracks, a pure light that entranced Rin as she stared at it.</p><p>" ... Grave (do engrave) ... me (unto me) ... "</p><p>The cube cracked open and scattered into many glowing shards, the tower of light now visible as it floated in the sky above Gray's hand, halos of yellow light surrounding it.</p><p>"Grave (prepare a grave) ... for you."</p><p>Hearing the last line, Archer lifted his right hand towards the sky, palm open. He closed his eyes and withdrew deep within himself, searching, finding and tracing the shield of the legendary Greek hero Ajax.</p><p>"I am the bone of my sword."</p><p>"RHONGOMYNIAD!"</p><p>"RHO AIAS!"</p><p>"ÞRYM ǪRVAR!"</p><p>The battle cries rang out in the midst of the storm, the chill-biting wind and dull thunder doing nothing to mute their determination contained in their voices.</p><p>A golden pillar of light ascended into the sky, meeting the massive tornado and tearing the clouds and sky asunder.</p><p>A seven layered Bounded Field came into being in front of Archer, an iridescent flower taking shape in the air as each individual petal appeared. Wind, rain, lightning and the corrupted miasma from the lance attacked the first layer, yet it held firm, the majority of the attack being directly blocked by Gray's trump card.</p><p>On the rooftop opposite the building they were on, Shirou Emiya struggled to avoid getting blown off as the wind tore at his body, his feet sliding on the wet concrete floor. Lightning flashed above him, striking his surroundings, his whole body wedged into a corner in a desperate attempt to avoid the wind, yet his eyes could never leave the battle. His eyes were captured by their prowess and strength, insane feats of power that could never be replicated by normal humans. Perhaps, this was what a Hero of Justice looked like.</p><p>So entranced he was with their battle that he didn't notice his body was starting to glow.</p><p>Avalon was owned by Artoria, and could only be used by her. However, there were now several Artorias in the world, all concentrated in Fuyuki, and two in his direct vicinity. While neither of them had a particularly strong affinity with Avalon due to them not using it in their legends, it was only a matter of time before Avalon started reacting to them with their mana being released in copious amounts while fighting. Lancers mana permeated the entire area after activating her Authority as King of Storms, coaxing Avalon to show itself.</p><p>Out of the corner of her eyes, Assassin spotted a dim glow on top of the other building as she felt her ahoge being drawn in that direction.</p><p>Far above her, charging down at them through the skies, Lancer saw a prick of light on the rooftop, visible in spite of all the rain, clouds and lightning. Inexplicably, she felt the need to go towards it, deep in her heart.</p><p>Her attention wavered, allowing the portals that had opened far below to land the barrage of shots on her, lightly harming Lancer and Llamrei and breaking her concentration. With the wind and rain hiding the shots, it was difficult for her to detect them until the last moment.</p><p>The clouds shook and trembled as the cone of energy bearing down on them teetered on the edge of incoherency, then the golden beam blasted a hole straight through the center and burst through the clouds, creating a large hole in the sky among them.</p><p>Gray sank to her knees as she deactivated her spear, panting heavily as Add reassembled the seal, while Archer deactivated the shield.</p><p>Far above them, the wind and rain slowly cleared up, the clouds dissipating into thin air as the thunder ceased completely.</p><p>Archer scoured the skies for her with his hawk-like eyes, but he couldn't spot her, even though she should have been an easy target.</p><p>"GAH! Kgh…"</p><p>All four of them simultaneously swiveled their heads to the left when they heard the faint cry, only to see Lancer remove her spear from the body of a red haired boy as he slumped to the ground, blood pouring out of his chest from the coconut-sized hole.</p><p>Without further ado, she leaped off the rooftop and dashed away, leaving behind the numbing body of Emiya Shirou as his consciousness faded away.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0049"><h2>49. Chapter 49</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 49</p><p>Emiya's lifeless body slumped to the ground, his hand splashing into the puddles on the roof as his head lolled to the side, blank eyes staring into the void. Streaks of blood flowed down his uniform and tainted the water to red, a hole in the wall behind him where he had been pinned by the lance.</p><p>*Splsh*</p><p>Archer landed on the roof, setting down Rin as Assassin followed them over with her own Master in tow.</p><p>"Hmph, seems like she eliminated a witness to our battle."</p><p>Archer merely disregarded the corpse, waving it off as a necessary evil for preserving the secrecy of the War.</p><p>Gray simply stared at the boy for a moment, before asking.</p><p>"Should we move the body? The wound also seems quite suspicious, perhaps we should deal with it as well."</p><p>Back in London, she had seen her share of corpses and wasn't fazed in the slightest. If anything, she was more concerned about what her mentor had drilled into her, the concealing of mystics.</p><p>Rin finally got a good look at his face and promptly gasped.</p><p>"Hm, is something wrong Tohsaka-san?"</p><p>"I know him."</p><p>Rin recognized that red hair and slightly dopey face, the valiant efforts of a boy struggling to jump over a bar in the field coming to her mind.</p><p>That day after school, she had simply been going home, walking out of school as the sun set in the west, the light slowly turning yellow, then orange as it closed in on the horizon. It was just a whim of hers, as she reached the railings near the road, but she looked back at Homurahara Gakuen, her gaze wandering across the school grounds.</p><p>The school was almost deserted at that hour, with most of the students having left after club activities, and a precious few teachers remaining at the school to finish up with their work.</p><p>Yet, in the middle of the field that should have been completely empty, there was a boy.</p><p>His red hair reflected the orange sunlight until his head looked like it was in flames, the sweat completely soaking his hair further enhancing the effect. Sweat sprayed from his body with each step he took for the running start, his arms and legs pumping furiously as dust was kicked up from the ground, his strides powerful and uniform. Rin could almost hear the steady thumping of his feet on the ground as he neared the high jump bar.</p><p>The moment his right foot reached the spot directly next to the large blue mattress, he twisted his body and converted all his prior momentum into energy driving him upwards, his right foot pushing off the ground with all his might. His head shot up into the air, seemingly pulling the rest of his body upwards as his back faced the bar, forming a beautiful arch to clear the bar.</p><p>Yet his head didn't even make it over the bar, the bar almost getting knocked off the instant his head crossed the boundary. Landing on the mattress on his back, he let out a deep breath, then rolled off the mattress, picked up the bar, reset it, and then repeated the whole process over again.</p><p>Far away, Rin watched the boy's progress, or lack thereof. Why was he doing something so obviously impossible?</p><p>Even so, despite the distance between them, she could see in his eyes that he truly believed he could do it, and was giving it his all to accomplish. He wasn't just going through the motions or doing it out of pure frustration. Instead, each jump was his utmost best, like he was competing in an official competition against his closest rival.</p><p>Something in the young Rin's chest tightened, an emotion that was hard for her to describe, something she didn't recognize or understand.</p><p>This memory flashed through Rin's mind in the space of a second, but it was enough for her to make her decision.</p><p>"Archer, step aside."</p><p>Archer complied with her order, the ruby pendant weighing heavily in his pocket.</p><p>Crouching down until she was eye-level with Shirou, she knelt on the bloody puddles, ignoring the water seeping into her black tights. Slipping her hand into her coat pocket, she pulled out a splendid ruby pendant in the shape of a triangle with curved edges, the jewel glimmering under the light of the moon. A clam like clasp attached the red stone to a silver chain that wrapped around Rin's hand, the delicate metal links swaying as she lifted the stone to the hole in Shirou's chest.</p><p>Behind her, Grey looked at her quizzically. Why was she sacrificing such an important item to save the boy? She could feel the magical energy the pendant contained, significantly dwarfing anything she could muster, with the sole exception of Rhongomyniad's fully released form.</p><p>The pendant was Tokiomi's final memento to his daughter, a century old family heirloom that had the equivalent of ten years of Rin's energy stored in it. Rin was forgiven for believing that almost anything could be possible with the amount of magical energy stored in it, the jewel halfway close to functioning as a mini pseudo-Grail in it's own right.</p><p>She could see the lungs and heart completely shredded, the spine, rib cage and flesh all gone. As of now, she had neither the skill nor ability to heal him, so she could only rely on the magical power stored in the stone to directly restore his body, a brute force method so to speak.</p><p>But it was one of the best artifacts of its class, a trump card that her father had left for her to win the war, something that she had planned only to use as a last resort.</p><p>Her moment of hesitation faded when she remembered the purple haired girl walking by his side to school, the slight smile she had shown when talking with her senpai. In all the time she had observed her, she had never seen her happier than these last two years.</p><p>Steeling her heart, she closed her eyes and focused, channeling the energy from the jewel.</p><p>It was surprisingly quick and simple, the flesh, bone and organs reappearing and then solidifying as the pendant glowed, the entire process lasting for a few seconds before everything was restored.</p><p>Dropping the pendant in the red puddle, she stood up and turned to face Gray.</p><p>"Gray-san, was it? Let's go elsewhere to continue our discussion."</p><p>Assassin quickly mentally messaged Gray.</p><p>"Master, I think the boy might have-"</p><p>"No, let's go. The boy seems to be important to Tohsaka-san, and we don't want to jeopardize our possible alliance with them. Let's just go along with them for now."</p><p>Gray was sure that the boy was of some value to the girl for her to sacrifice such a powerful artifact, and probing the boy for the item Assassin had mentioned she had felt in him wasn't wise if they wanted to build up a working relationship with them.</p><p>"We shall follow your lead, Tohsaka-san."</p><p>Giving a brief nod, Rin jumped into Archer"s waiting arms as they jumped off the roof and headed out of the school grounds, Assassin and Gray following them closely.</p><p>Back on the rooftop, Emiya stirred, his body sluggish as he cracked open his eyes, his chest feeling like it was on fire.</p><p>"Guuuuh…"</p><p>Pushing himself up on his knees, he realized the water was red, and looked at his own hands, stained with blood and water. The iron-like scent finally hit him, and he experienced a wave of nausea as he looked down at his chest, the hole in his uniform clearly exposing his chest. His toned muscles were there, the pale skin reflecting the moonlight slightly. Reaching one shaking hand to touch his chest, he hissed when the skin pricked at the slight touch, quickly withdrawing his fingers.</p><p>He stood up, pushing himself back with some effort, and looked behind him.</p><p>There on the wall, was a hole the size of a tennis ball where the lance had pierced through, blood surrounding the hole along with bits of pink and red flesh around it. Actually, now he also noticed flecks of pink and red smeared across the ground, the remaining pieces of his former lungs, heart and trachea. He could even see the white shards of bone scattered across the puddles, stained red.</p><p>However, his mind was still shaky and unfocused, unable to piece together what happened to him even with all the evidence right in front of him. The trauma of being killed was no small matter.</p><p>"What happened?"</p><p>That small voice laden with confusion escaped his lips, his body swaying as he tried to make sense of the chaos in front of him. Suddenly, a glitter on the ground caught his eyes, and with effort he turned his eye to look at the source.</p><p>It was a pendant, now half-covered in blood, water and several pieces of flesh on the ground.</p><p>Without a second thought, he knelt down and grabbed it, almost falling in the process, and then stumbled to the door, leaning his whole body on it to push it open and then keeping one hand on the railing as he slowly descended the stairs, his eyes dazed all the while. Even so, he kept a firm grip on the pendant, never letting go of it until he reached his home.</p>
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<a name="section0050"><h2>50. Chapter 50</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 50</p><p>Emiya dragged himself through the door, shaking his legs to kick off his shoes unsuccessfully before simply dragging the heel of the shoes across the ground to take it off. Staggering onto the wooden floor of the Emiya residence, he stumbled into the living room, haphazardly hurling the pendant onto the kitchen counter before he summarily fell face forward onto the ground.</p><p>"Nggh…"</p><p>Pushing off the floor with his elbow, he lay there for a moment as he stared at the ceiling, his body aching from sprinting back home and running into a few obstacles due to the lack of body coordination. His chest heaved a few times before his breathing steadied, the bruises he had sustained throbbing. His chest no longer felt the constant prickling and burning sensation earlier, and for the most part was normal.</p><p>"What...what was that?"</p><p>His jumbled memory finally pieced together what had happened, the fall to the ground knocking some sense back into his mind.</p><p>A man in red wielding a bow, firing arrows that glowed and exploded with the force of a missile. In the stormy skies above him, a rider in black astride an ominous black steed. Red lightning, a tower of light that stretched into the sky, portals that fired energy beams and a great shield of seven petals.</p><p>He knew magecraft existed, and practiced it as well, no matter how small his talents in that respect were. Yet, he had never imagined in his wildest dreams that it could be capable of so much. For a second, he wondered if they were aliens. There was no way humans could do something like that. Then he slapped his cheeks to clear his mind.</p><p>His thoughts turned to his chest, the fatal wound somehow gone, his chest whole and unblemished.</p><p>"I was almost killed...No, I was certainly killed."</p><p>The pain of having a huge hole torn through his chest wasn't easy to forget, the feeling of his lungs, heart and spine being pulverized as the lance passed through his body without resistance was something he'd remember for the rest of his life.</p><p>Yet, he had been saved by someone, leaving behind only the ruby pendant as a memento of them.</p><p>"Who could have saved me?"</p><p>The question occupied his mind, the identity of his saviour. If possible, he wanted to repay them as much as he could, for allowing him to live again, giving him a second chance to fulfill his dream.</p><p>*Ding, ding*</p><p>The sound of the bells hanging in the eaves ringing shook him from his reverie, the sensation of a slight electric current passing through his skin, making the hair stand up.</p><p>Wait, that was the Boun-</p><p>He rolled away before the ceiling caved in, pushing with all his against the ground as his body crashed into the wooden counter, the ceiling shattering under the charging horse as the lance pierced a hole in the tatami mats on the floor.</p><p>The table was flipped over from the blast of air that accompanied her landing as the floorboards caving in while the fruits on the table rolled across the ground. The recruitment poster left behind by Taiga was thrown across the room and rolled across the floor towards him.</p><p>Pressing his back against the counter and pushing himself up, he grabbed the steel poster and a kitchen knife behind him, holding the poster cylinder in his right and the knife in his left, dual wielding the bizarre combination.</p><p>"I was hoping to end this quickly and with the least amount of effort, but it seems that I will have to expend more energy to deal with you. I'll ask you one last time, stop resisting, and I'll make your death painless."</p><p>She was privately surprised that he was still alive, but in the end all that mattered was that she silenced him and obtained the artifact inside him for herself.</p><p>"Trace, on."</p><p>Those were his only words as he focused, the burning rod shoved into his spine as he created the Nerve Circuit to reinforce the cylinder and knife, blue lines criss crossing across both objects.</p><p>*Crss*</p><p>The knife shattered in his hands, the blade almost exploding before it simply shattered into dust, the remains streaming through the gaps in his fingers.</p><p>But the poster held its form, the steel strengthened beyond what it's original capabilities. Lancer simply watched as he switched to a two-handed grip with the poster, holding it in front of him like a shinai.</p><p>Without saying a word, she summoned her might and blasted mana from the back of her elbow, the Mana Burst magnifying her blow into a sure kill strike that would obliterate Emiya Shirou into smithereens.</p><p>A single thought ran across Shirou's mind.</p><p>"I won't die like this!"</p><p>A stroke of genius flashed through his mind as his imminent death drew closer, his hands unrolling the poster as he desperately pushed against the floor to dodge the strike.</p><p>In the next moment, a hole appeared in the wall as he was blown clear off his feet across the backyard, through the shed doors and into a pile of appliances in the shed itself.</p><p>Lancer's blow was too fast and strong for her to shift its course, hence the reason why Emiya was able to survive it. He had just barely strengthened the rolled open poster enough to allow it to survive the tip of the lance skimming across the surface, protecting his body, but the poster had exploded from the stress, and combined with the sheer force packed into that one blow, even a near miss was enough to send him flying. If she had rotated the lance or slowed down enough to adjust more to the left, he would have died on the spot. She also hadn't expected him to resist so much, hence her carelessness and lack of focus on her target despite the force in her blow.</p><p>Lancer stared at him through the hole in the wall, her helm lending her a menacing air as she lifted her lance once more to prepare for her charge at him, planning on breaking through the walls for a sure charge with Llamrei that he wouldn't be able to avoid. Even just passing by him would be enough to kill him.</p><p>Seeing Llamrei paw the ground and snort, Emiya desperately looked around the shed, searching for something, anything to save him. The lance lowered at him started to whir, spinning as the red spikes started glowing, an absurd thought flashing through Shirou's mind comparing it to a black Christmas tree.</p><p>A heater, stray wires, a rice cooker, a red electric kettle and more cluttered the space, yet none of them were useful to him. All he could do was watch as Lancer gathered energy behind her to propel her forward to crush his body once and for all.</p><p>"Damn it...I can't die like this."</p><p>How could he die again right after being saved by someone he didn't even know?</p><p>"I can't fulfill my duty if I die here. I won't be killed here, by someone who takes lives thoughtlessly!"</p><p>A fervent desire to live, so that he could fulfill the promise he made to that man on the porch under the full moon. Until he became a hero of justice, he refused to die.</p><p>The marks formed on his hand, spreading across the back of his left hand into the Command Seals of a Master. The circle that had been glowing slightly ever since he had fallen into the shed accepted the trickle of energy flowing from him, establishing a connection and calling forth a hero of yore to obey his wish, reaching into the Throne to summon the one connected to the scabbard of the Everdistant Utopia.</p><p>Out of the corner of his eye, a brilliant flash emerged, the light sublimating into the silhouette of an armored figure.</p><p>Lancer sensed it too, instantly moving forward with her horse as one to eliminate the red haired boy lying on the floor of the shed. She flew forward on her steed, crossing the distance in the blink of an eye. It was a charge like lightning, a spearhead charge aimed at his heart. Dodging it would have been useless, it's speed making it invisible to the human eye.</p><p>But...</p><p>*BOOM*</p><p>The doors of the shed were blown off their hinges as they flipped in the air before landing on the grass, the entrance to the shed gone with a large hole taking its place.</p><p>The lightning that tried to pierce him...</p><p>...was repelled by the moonlight that tried to save him.</p><p>Standing in the way of Lancer's spear, was nothing.</p><p>Or rather, an invisible weapon that seemed to shift with the dust thrown up by the clash, the wilder a young girl clad in medieval armor and in a skirt, golden blonde hair tied up in a bun behind her with a blue silk ribbon keeping it in place. The armor wasn't beautiful at all, as unrefined as the cold night. The sound of steel rang across the empty backyard, a harsh clang of steel on steel. Still, Emiya Shirou thought it was a beautiful sound like the crystal clear tinkling of a bell, simply because she left him dumbstruck.</p><p>Before Lancer could react, the girl pushed her lance upwards with little effort, then spun a full circle with her right leg as a pivot and kicked the horse with her left leg, blue mana pouring out of her calf to amplify the force of the kick.</p><p>They were sent skating across the ground as Llamrei braced himself to stop the two of them from flying into the air despite the pain racking his ribcage and right front leg, the limb in question heavily crippled. Inside the shed, the knight turned to face him, her delicate mouth opening as she spoke to him.</p><p>"―――I ask of you. Are you my Master?"</p><p>She asked in a voice that lit up the darkness.</p><p>"I have come forth in response to your summons. From this time forward, my sword shall be with you and your fate shall be with me. Now, our contract is complete."</p><p>Yes, the contract was completed. When she chose her Master...</p><p>Shirou swore to help her too.</p><p>The moonlight still lit up the darkness. As if following the knight's example, the shed fell silent.</p><p>Time had stopped, the scene lasting less than a second.</p><p>But he would remember this scene vividly even in hell.</p><p>The face slightly turned. The quiet green eyes.</p><p>The instant became an eternity. The blue outfit symbolizing her swayed in the wind.</p><p>――――A faint blue light filtered in.</p><p>The golden hair shone in the moonlight.</p><p>(Some parts of this chapter were taken directly from the VN script, all credit goes to TYPE-MOON and Kinoko Nasu)</p>
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<a name="section0051"><h2>51. Chapter 51</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 51</p><p>"Master?"</p><p>Shirou sat there in a daze, staring at her lovely visage. Being saved so suddenly left him in a shock, unable to register what was going on.</p><p>Seeing him unable to respond properly as he clutched the newly minted Command Seals on his hand, she decided that now probably wasn't the time to talk with him, and turned around to face the limping Llamrei and Lancer.</p><p>Shirou ran to the gaping hole, leaning on the crumbling edges to spectate the fight between the two.</p><p>Lancers' formerly overwhelmingly dreadful presence was now diminished with Llamrei's crippled leg, the entire balance tilted as both rider and horse leaned subtly to the right.</p><p>In contrast, Saber stood on the field calmly, her stance showing no openings as she stared at the mounted knight evenly, her green eyes clear and determined. The blade, if it was a blade, rested in her arms lightly, her grip firm but not tight, legs spaced evenly apart.</p><p>The night wind rustled through the grass.</p><p>"KRK"</p><p>The snap of the reins spurred on Llamrei, the charge formidable even with his right leg slowing him with every step he took. The lance didn't spin, remaining still with the red spikes protruding out of it. The two of them shot forwards to Saber, her blade poised to retaliate.</p><p>When the lance was barely a meter away from her, she hopped to the left, her blade held straight horizontally in front of her to slash through Llamrei and his rider.</p><p>*SHAAA*</p><p>Streams of red mana from Llamrei's legs sent him flying into the sky, Lancer's spear slamming into the ground to stop them and push them off the ground as well. Sabers invisible sword barely cut through Llamrei's breastplate and right leg before they both flew into the air, Lancer creating a massive blast with Mana Burst to escape.</p><p>Saber kept a tense grip on her sword for a few more seconds, jumping on the roof of the residence to scan the area where Lancer should have landed in, and after spotting no further signs of the other Servant, she returned to Shirou, still staring at her in awe.</p><p>"To think I would be summoned like that…" The thought flashed through her mind, but she quickly snuffed it out in favor of more pressing matters.</p><p>"Master, may I ask that you open your supply of mana? I cannot fight at my full strength unless you do so."</p><p>Emiya stared at her for another moment, before finally snapping back to reality.</p><p>"Master? Eh? What are you talking about?"</p><p>"We made the contract didn't we? So that makes you my Master."</p><p>Saber was unfazed by her Master's confusion, but the fact remained that she was running on fumes. Perhaps she could-</p><p>"Intruders!"</p><p>A presence appeared on her mental radar. Leaping into the air, she gripped her sword with both hands as she prepared to meet her new opponent.</p><p>"What do you mean!?"</p><p>Shirou yelled at her back, before following her to the door of his residence.</p><p>Outside the doors of the Emiya residence, a man faced Saber, both arms raised in the air, his face betraying no emotion even with the invisible blade placed on his neck.</p><p>"Who are you?"</p><p>Saber kept her sword on his neck as she questioned him, sensing the presence of a regular human being from him. The most notable thing about him was the way he carried himself, a completely natural state that could only be the product of lengthy training and ironclad discipline. With how close they were, she could observe how he breathed, and it was the peak of how a human should breath. Yet, no human should be able to face her, no matter how strong they were.</p><p>"I was sent here by Caster."</p><p>Saber pressed the blade closer to his neck, a bead of red liquid appearing from the smallest of cuts near his jugular, the ball slowly gliding across the skin on his neck before reaching the collar of his shirt and being absorbed by the white fabric, diffusing into a tiny red dot.</p><p>"I have no intention of harming your Master. Instead, I have come to propose for an alliance between us."</p><p>Saber stared at him for one long moment, gauging his body language and facial expression. His face remained bland, a perfect poker face, while his body didn't tremble for even a little bit, no signs of sweat or shifting any body parts. Yet he wasn't completely still either, his chest rising and falling slightly with each breath, his body relaxed and limber.</p><p>By this point, an out of breath Shirou appeared at the doorway, seeing the two of them in a standoff on the road in front of his house.</p><p>"Souichirou-sensei?"</p><p>He gazed at his teacher in shock, then noticed Saber holding her weapon to his neck.</p><p>"Saber, lower your sword. He's my sensei, not an enemy."</p><p>Saber nodded and lowered her sword, her personal judgement of him coming to the same conclusion. It would indeed be beneficial to them if they managed to secure an alliance in the early stages of the war.</p><p>"Souichirou-sensei, please come inside."</p><p>Inviting him into his house, Shirou opened the door for him as the man walked through, Saber following closely behind him in case he tried to start something. Walking silently across the floor, they entered the wrecked living room, the chilly air circulating through the broken walls as Shirou prepared some tea for him by reflex.</p><p>Saber stood in the corner, watching Kuzuki intently with her unsheathed sword.</p><p>Emiya poured a cup for Kuzuki, the green liquid trickling out of the teapot into the porcelain cups as steam floated into the air from the hot tea, a pleasant aroma entering the room. He also automatically poured a cup for Saber, then sat down on the mats opposite Kuzuki, avoiding the squashed fruits on the floor.</p><p>The situation was somewhat surreal for Shirou after just being killed, revived, almost killed again and then having a foreign beauty dressed in armor call him Master who then proceeded to save his life. At this point, his body acted to give him some semblance of normality, hence the tea set on the floor near the holes in the floor that Lancer had made. Kuzuki made no mention of the debris and holes around the area, keeping his focus on Emiya all the while, although Saber had noticed him taking in the entire residence when they first entered.</p><p>"Sensei, do you know about magecraft?"</p><p>Honestly, he would never have known that Kuzuki was the type to dabble in magecraft. He had only ever seen him as a dead serious teacher who was very strict and generally taught classes in the most efficient manner possible, which also somehow worked very well for the students as well. Once, there had been a minor typo, just a misspelled word, in a single question for the exams, with almost no actual impact on the students performance. But he had still shown up at the classroom to announce that they were retrieving the exam papers and rescheduling the exam. He was just that diligent and serious. If there was a carrot and stick approach among the teachers in Homuhara Academy, he was the stick.</p><p>"Yes, I do. Emiya-san, I've come here to propose an alliance between me, the Master of Caster, and you, the final Master to join the war."</p><p>Shirou stared at him, before asking.</p><p>"What do you mean when you say I'm a Master."</p><p>Kuzuki silently digested the question, then realized that Shirou was probably clueless like he had been when Caster had first formed the contract with him. Searching his memory, he decided to ask him a question to gain a rough understanding of how much he knew.</p><p>"Have you heard of the Holy Grail War?"</p><p>When Emiya shook his head, Kuzuki knew he was in for a long night.</p>
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<a name="section0052"><h2>52. Chapter 52</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 52</p><p>After repeating what Caster had told him that night, Emiya seemed to get the general gist of the war he was involved in, though it was clear to Kuzuki that he still had some doubts in his heart.</p><p>"Do we really have to kill the other Masters in order to win?"</p><p>Shirou brows knitted together at the thought of having to kill other people to become victor. This was not how a hero of justice acted.</p><p>Kuzuki on the other hand, had been trained as an assassin from birth, so he didn't really have any strong feelings about it. It was simply a task to be completed. He could at least understand that it was a reprehensible act to other people, though Shirou's reaction to him was somewhat different because instead of being disgusted or fearful, he was instead closer to being angry about it, or dissatisfied in a way.</p><p>"Caster did say that just killing the rest of the Servants would be enough to activate the Holy Grail, but she also mentioned that many of the Masters would most likely target the enemy Masters since killing a human, even a human magus, was a much easier feat than killing a Servant, and killing the Master also meant defeating the Servant."</p><p>Shirou lowered his head, leaving Kuzuki unable to see his face. He could tell that he was deep in thought though, with both hands planted on his knees as he sat cross legged on the floor.</p><p>When he looked back up, he asked Kuzuki a question.</p><p>"Will you kill other Master's to obtain victory then?"</p><p>Without hesitating, Kuzuki replied.</p><p>"I will."</p><p>"Then-"</p><p>"But Caster has told me to refrain from targeting any enemy Masters for now. So temporarily at least, I won't kill anybody unless absolutely necessary."</p><p>Caster was an idealist like Emiya Shirou, someone who would try to save Britain without killing a single person. Although, deep down her reasoning wasn't just because she wanted to save everyone, but also because she wanted to borrow their strength for her journey. No matter who she met on her journey, enemy or ally, friend or foe, they would all become part of the path leading to the fated end. All one had to do was look at her Noble Phantasm to understand what kind of person she was, the Staff of Selection deploying her mental world into the world to envelop and protect all those standing by her side.</p><p>Shirou didn't know any of this of course, but upon hearing that Caster had told Kuzuki to avoid killing them, he decided to place his trust in them.</p><p>"Ok, let's form an alliance then."</p><p>"Just like that Master?"</p><p>Saber's question popped up in her mind, but she kept it to herself, wondering if it was good to agree so quickly to this arrangement. Casters, or magi in general, weren't very trustworthy people. But someone who would stop her Master from killing others, that seemed different to her. Perhaps Caster wasn't like normal magi.</p><p>Kuzuki stood up from the tatami mats and looked down at Shirou, gesturing for him to do the same.</p><p>"Emiya-san, I'd like for you to come with me to our base of operations and live there for the duration of the war, to ensure your safety."</p><p>Caster had sensed Avalon being activated while she was monitoring the battle at the school, and she was concerned that other Masters could possibly acquire it for their own use, so she sent Kuzuki to see who the person who possessed Avalon was. After sensing the summoning of the seventh Servant due to a fluctuation in the leylines and Kuzuki reporting signs of a battle inside the Emiya residence, she ordered Kuzuki to enter after Lancer left. Kuzuki had followed him there after observing the battle from the start on a nearby building, using a pair of binoculars.</p><p>During the conversation, Kuzuki had determined that Shirou didn't seem to know that he had the scabbard, so Caster needed to examine him personally to determine how the scabbard was linked to him, hence the invitation to their base.</p><p>"Ah, it's fine, I can live here by myself. The house has a Bounded Field, and Saber will be here to protect me."</p><p>Kuzuki stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was serious. According to what Caster had told him, the local Bounded Field, while subtle and difficult to detect, merely provided a warning to the presence of intruders. That, and Saber, was all he was going to have as protection against any enemies. In contrast, he and Caster had fortified Ryuudou Temple to a high degree, yet they had still almost been beaten by one Servant who had fought him and Assassin back to back, with him losing an arm in the process. He was surprised that no one had seen through the illusion cast on his left arm yet. Caster really lived up to her name as a master of spells.</p><p>Thankfully, Saber intervened for him.</p><p>"Master, I think it would be wise to go with him. While he may not be absolutely trustworthy yet, I believe that the protection they can offer would be beneficial when compared to the defenses you have here. With no offense to your Bounded Field, while it is masterfully crafted, it still won't provide much protection against Servants or Masters, at least when compared with what a Caster class Servant can make."</p><p>She added one more part through her mental link with Shirou.</p><p>"In addition, I am unable to fight like usual, as my parameters have been considerably lowered." She didn't mention that this was due to Shirou's pitiful Magic Circuits.</p><p>She had been observing Kuzuki all the while, and while she didn't pick up much due to how "muted" his body language and facial expressions were, she could at least ascertain that what he said was truthful, with her years of experience as a king. Even if his blank face somewhat reminded her of Kiritsugu, she could sense that he was different from her former Master, and she wouldn't let her feelings about him sway her judgement on others.</p><p>Shirou took in her words, then nodded.</p><p>"Alright then. Souichirou-sensei, please lead the way."</p><p>The three left the residence, Saber wearing a yellow raincoat to cover her armor while they walked around the public, due to her inability to spiritualize her body.</p><p>Far off in the distance, Berserker refocused her pupils on the trio leaving the house.</p><p>"Master, they've left the area."</p><p>Illya smiled, a childlike and innocent voice sounding out in the night.</p><p>"Let's go greet onii-chan!"</p>
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<a name="section0053"><h2>53. Chapter 53</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 53</p><p>(Flashback)</p><p>A few days ago, she and Berserker had snuck out of the manor, supposedly under the nose of the two maids, though it was really due to Berserker negotiating with them that she'd protect Illya and make sure she didn't expose herself to potential enemies. If Heracles had been summoned, this wouldn't have been allowed before the war started, but since this Berserker possessed no communication disorders and had mostly sane mentality, they were able to go out on a stint in the shopping center at Mount Miyama.</p><p>Lugging around six bags of clothes and food, Berserker munched on a kibidango as they walked around the place, ignoring all the suspicious gazes and curious stares thrown at the two of them. Illya went walking from store to store, taking in all they had to offer with greedy eyes and impulsively buying whatever caught her eye, resulting in Berserker's current burden. Berserker wouldn't complain though, as long as her Master was happy, and she had something to eat.</p><p>Dressed in the scarf and glasses with the uniform of a classic sailor high school female uniform, she also drew the admiring gazes of both sexes, some checking out her from head to toe, the thigh high tights clinging to the pale white thighs exposed under her blue dress enticingly. Her scarf hid her features as well, making their imaginations run wild as to what her true appearance was like.</p><p>Even for a Saberface without Charisma, they still attracted attention wherever they went.</p><p>Two men walked up to her, one with bleached blond hair, the other with natural black hair. Their swaggering, toned bodies exuded confidence and charm as they walked up to her like they knew her, wearing a wide, friendly smile on their faces.</p><p>"Are you from overseas?"</p><p>Berserker's pale skin and pale blond hair, almost to the point of being white, were traits almost unheard of in Japan, not to mention her unearthly yellow eyes.</p><p>"Yes." Technically, she was from a different galaxy, but the meaning was similar.</p><p>"Is that so? So is this your first time in this area?"</p><p>It was an innocent question, and she saw no reason to refuse them information of this degree.</p><p>"Yes. Me and my little sister have just arrived in Fuyuki to visit a relative, and we decided to come to the local shopping district to have a look around."</p><p>Her toneless voice rehearsed the story they had prepared beforehand in case anybody asked them about their background. After all, it was much easier than casting magecraft on them in broad daylight.</p><p>"I see, I see! Then, we can show you around the place for a bit today. We know quite a few good spots for tourists."</p><p>The man with blond hair extended an invitation to take them around town, his somewhat handsome features brightening in an effort to appear friendly.</p><p>"Ah, those bags look heavy as well. Let us help you carry them."</p><p>Showing an act of perceived kindness helped improve their impressions, as well as giving them further incentive to follow them by creating a feeling of indebtedness through providing unsolicited help. This was one of the ploys used by these pickup artists, and it had helped them several times in the past before.</p><p>Just as the black haired man was reaching for the blue plastic bags containing the snacks she had bought, Berserker reached out a hand to clutch his wrist, stopping him firmly in place.</p><p>"That won't be necessary, thank you very much."</p><p>The black haired man tried to break free of her grip, and his face grew perplexed when he failed to do so, the veins in his hand throbbing as he mustered all his strength to pull free.</p><p>Failing to notice his predicament, his partner continued to talk to Berserker.</p><p>"Hey, we also know a great restaurant for dinner, we'll even treat you to a meal there with your little sister? What do you say to that?"</p><p>His grin stretched just a bit wider, stepping slightly closer to create a sense of pressure to accept on the target.</p><p>Before Berserker could respond or push him back, a flash of red hair cut in between the two of them, making Berserker release the black haired man's wrist in surprise as well.</p><p>"Stop bothering her please. She clearly said no just now to your offer of help."</p><p>A young teen stood in front of her, staring at the two older men in defiance.</p><p>"Tch, you again? What do you think you are, some kind of hero?"</p><p>The blond haired man turned away with his hands in his pockets, the black haired man still staring at his wrist.</p><p>"Come on, let's go Tsukasa."</p><p>Giving Berserker one last glance, Tsukasa turned around to follow his partner further down the street.</p><p>Once they were out of sight, the teen breathed a sigh of relief as he turned to face her.</p><p>"Haaah, I can't believe they're still going around the place trying to pick up girls like that. It isn't right to pressure other people into decisions like that."</p><p>The teen shook his head in disappointment, having seen the same situation happen before with other people. Then he looked back up at her.</p><p>"Don't worry though, there aren't many people like them around here. Most of the folks around the neighbourhood here are pretty friendly once you get to know them, and even those guys from earlier are just a bit too pushy at times."</p><p>He smiled as he said so, giving a fond smile when he mentioned the people around them.</p><p>"Who are you?"</p><p>Berserker was more interested in knowing who he was. Despite the size, age and musculature gap between him and the two men, he had still willingly stood up for her, while everyone else had just walked past them while pretending to not notice.</p><p>"Ah, I'm sorry I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Emiya. Emiya Shirou. You can call me Emiya-san if you'd like."</p><p>Abruptly, a killing intent rose up behind Berserker.</p><p>Threads of white light rose up into the air as they stealthily fashioned into blades, concealed under a curtain of white hair.</p><p>Noticing something different in the air suddenly, Shirou sniffed the air as he sensed mana being used near him.</p><p>"STOP."</p><p>Berserker yelled into her Master's mind with all the strength she could muster, the first time she had ever ordered her to do anything.</p><p>Illya, who had been watching the entire exchange from start to finish nearby, froze in shock at the sheer intensity from the mental scream in her mind. Slowly, her Mystic Code deactivated, the white threads falling limp under her hair.</p><p>*drip*</p><p>Looking down, she saw a droplet of blood, then more and more dropped onto the ground, until she realized she had drawn blood from her palms by gripping her fists too tightly with her fingernails.</p><p>"Thank you Emiya-san for standing up for me earlier, but I'm afraid I have to leave right now."</p><p>Saying so, she turned around with the multiple bags swaying around and quickly walked away, escaping before he had the chance to say anything else.</p><p>He stood there staring at the corner where she had disappeared for a moment, before scratching the back of his head and walking back to the grocery store he was supposed to buy food from. As long as he had helped someone, it didn't really matter if they were grateful or not, and repaying or thanking him were inconsequential things.</p><p>Behind the corner where Berserker had disappeared from his sight, Illya was smiling at Berserker as the Servant carried her on her shoulders through the street.</p><p>"Thanks for holding me back Berserker."</p><p>"It was my duty." After experiencing that small incident, Berserker wondered what kind person Emiya Shirou was, besides being the demon that Illya pictured him to be.</p><p>"If I had killed him there, I wouldn't have had the chance to make him suffer like I did."</p><p>Well, at least her Master had bounced back pretty quickly.</p>
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<a name="section0054"><h2>54. Chapter 54</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 54</p><p>A second's hesitation was all it took, but it was enough for Kuzuki's instincts to activate and bend his entire body backwards, pulling him out of the way of the mana blast which barely missed him and pierced the lamp pole behind him, boring a clear hole through him.</p><p>On the floor next to him, Emiya pushed himself back up after diving at Kuzuki to shield him, having forced Illya to readjust her aim to avoid killing him and giving Kuzuki a window of opportunity to dodge the surprise attack.</p><p>By the time Illya had manifested more Zelle's, Saber was already standing in front of the two of them, her sword out as the winds coiled around it, her green eyes darting around the area to find the enemy servant.</p><p>She didn't have to wait long, as a crackle of red lightning heralding the arrival of Berserker charging down at her from the sky.</p><p>*BOOM*</p><p>The force of her downwards momentum pushed Saber into the asphalt street, a sinkhole created in the street as the road gave way to the hollow sewers below.</p><p>Shirou and Kuzuki stood tensely on the road, watching Illya as she smiled at them while the bird constructs floated around her, ready to fire at the slightest notice. Yet, she didn't fire, instead waiting for the Servants to reappear.</p><p>It took Shirou a second, but he finally realized he'd seen her before.</p><p>"Hey, aren't you the girl I met yesterday?"</p><p>Illya turned her attention towards him, her red eyes narrowing as she raised her voice to a high, childish pitch.</p><p>"Ah, I'm glad you remember me, onii-chan! I didn't get to properly introduce myself the last time we met, so allow me to introduce myself now. My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern, the Master from the Einzbern house of the three great families. Pleased to make your acquaintances, Emiya Shirou and Kuzuki Souichirou." She made a full curtsy at them, using both hands to pull her dress and hold them in place as she bent her knees slightly, bowing her head at them.</p><p>As if on cue, both Servants leapt out of the sewers, Saber looking significantly worse for wear, while Berserker was practically unscratched.</p><p>"Ah, and this Berserker, my Servant and the strongest Servant in the war."</p><p>Introducing her Servant cheerfully and lightheartedly, she spun in place and gestured at the trio, one hand over heart and the other outstretched towards them.</p><p>"Now that you've summoned your Servant, let's fight to death onii-chan!"</p><p>Without giving Shirou a chance to communicate with Saber again, Berserker cracked the asphalt and dashed forward, Necrocalibur blazing in the night as it swung forwards in a wide arc.</p><p>*Vuon, VUON*</p><p>The two Servants clashed blows at inhuman speeds, their weapons swinging so quickly that even Shirou with reinforced eyes couldn't catch the after images of their blades.</p><p>Still, it was plain to Shirou that his Servant was losing, and not just by a little, but by a lot.</p><p>The invincible knight he had thought she was when she had fought against Lancer was no longer here, but instead she was desperately trying to claw her way through the fight to survive, each blow thrown off by the smallest of margins to stave off defeat. Her armor was shaved off piece by piece, her gauntlets missing a few edges and parts, holes marking her breastplate, while her skirt was torn and ripped in many places, the right armor plates hanging down her side with her skirt half gone.</p><p>Berserker flicked her sword at her like a fencer, a stab aimed at her face. The invisible sword tilted it's tip upwards, barely pushing the energy blade above her face as it cut a groove into her hair. Without missing a beat, Berserker ducked low and rushed forward, an electric palm sinking into Saber's gut and sending her flying. Her green eyes bulged in pain as spittle flew out of her mouth, but she managed to dig her feet into the ground, leaving a long trail as she slid past Shirou and Kuzuki to stop behind them.</p><p>Illya frowned at the fight, or rather the curbstomp of Saber. Was there something wrong with her? She shouldn't be so weak, as the supposedly strongest class of the war. It wasn't fun at all if she just lost like that.</p><p>The reason was in two parts.</p><p>Firstly, Emiya Shirou was an inadequate Master. This weakened Saber considerably, her parameters dropping to levels much lower than usual.</p><p>Secondly, Berserker was a Conceptual Weapon against all Sabers, let alone the OG Saber that was the crystallization of Saberhood. Created solely as a weapon to kill Sabers, just like Assassin, she inherited part of Assassin's Origin from her, granting her an advantage against all Saber class Servants, similar to how Assassin had an advantage against all Saberfaces.</p><p>The result was a one-sided beatdown against Saber, a fight that she would have struggled with even if she had a Master like, say, Rin.</p><p>Mere scratches that should have been minor injuries were magnified until they were deeply cauterized cuts that burnt away the nerves in the area, Saber losing the ability to move her legs as nimbly as before from the shock of lightning pulsing through them while she tried to block an overhead slash.</p><p>Her body trembled as she struggled to hold back Necrocalibur, the cylinder of plasma edging ever closer to her neck.</p><p>There was a blur of movement on the edges of her vision, her eyes twitching automatically to follow it. Forming her left hand into a fist, she gestured at an iron manhole and pulled it into the path of the fist snaking towards the small of her back.</p><p>*Kshing!*</p><p>The fist smashed through the thick iron with ease, a translucent sapphire aura coating it. Unable to dodge it, she was forced to knock aside Saber's sword and intercept the blow with her lightsaber, the sword coming into contact with the layer of energy and rebounding off the surface, instead of cutting through it like Berserker had expected.</p><p>The brief moment of contact threw it off course, the deadly fist flying past Berserker's left arm as Kuzuki rotated his entire body to apply maximum force, the air forcefully pushed aside in its path. Berserker's body suit was torn up as several light cuts appeared on her left arm from the wind lashing at her body, her skin chafed from the currents.</p><p>"Dual blades, activate!"</p><p>Technically, she didn't need to say that, but it sounded cool so she did it sometimes when she was in the mood, and not taking the fight too seriously.</p><p>The twin blades turned into a red circle as they rotated in Berserker's dexterous hands to cut Kuzuki into pieces. The barrier endured three direct hits, before glowing cracks started to spiral outwards from the point of impact.</p><p>Of course, Kuzuki didn't stay idle during this time, but instead wholeheartedly entrusted his safety to Caster's enchantments, his leather shoes cracking the ground as he sank his right leg forward and darted straight in front of her, grabbing her neck in one strike.</p><p>Red lightning danced around his outstretched arm, more and more lines spider webbing across the blue layer as it shimmered in and out of view, flashing with increasing urgency.</p><p>Berserker continued raining blows on him, her slashes not slowing down despite the force he was choking her with, her body's combat instinct deeply ingrained to a point that she could attack on simple reflex.</p><p>But he was not fighting alone.</p><p>Behind her, while Kuzuki had managed to grab her in a stranglehold and Berserker fought to break free, Saber had jumped high into the air, using her increasingly low reserves of mana to activate Mana Burst for an even greater height, then she crashed down on Berserker while swinging her sword with all her might.</p><p>*B-WOOSH*</p><p>The three of them collapsed into the sewers once more as Sabers strength and fall plunged them through the weakened asphalt, all three vanishing into a cloud of dust and debris.</p><p>Illya stared at the hole, surprised that Kuzuki could still fight even with his left arm gone, and that they could actually pull off something like this.</p><p>Shirou on the other hand had balled his hands into tight fists, watching the cloud of dust tensely for the first sign of the combatants.</p><p>A spray of blood burst out of the cloud, droplets of crimson dripping onto the pavement, the cloud of dust became tainted a slight red even while it settled onto the ground.</p><p>"Now!"</p><p>Saber's cry rang through the night as the ground beneath Illya's feet cracked, the pavement breaking as the winds were released, the bounded air hiding the holy sword released in an attempt to collapse the ground she was standing on.</p><p>Her eyes widened at the unexpected vector of attack, the threads originally in attack mode instantly disassembling into a lattice of threads below her as she jumped off the ground to float on them while the ground collapsed beneath her, but she was unable to avoid the massive blast of wind shooting upwards at her.</p><p>Buffeted by the wind, her makeshift platform swayed and shook, before completely losing control as pieces of concrete and asphalt pelted it from below, the force they were traveling far higher than they could tolerate.</p><p>"Hak!"</p><p>A long arm reached out and grasped her around the neck, pulling her into a tight embrace before she lost consciousness from a sharp blow to the back of her neck, striking a pressure point that put her to sleep.</p><p>"Master! Where are you?"</p><p>Berserker instantly sensed her fainting, her leg spinning to kick back Saber as her eyes scanned for an opening back to the surface, her enhanced optic nerves peering through the dust and darkness to see a hole right above her. She jumped straight up, her body flying high into the air as she surveyed the scenery below.</p><p>On one side was Shirou Emiya, master of Saber, while Saber herself was half buried in the sewer walls from her kick, a deep gash in her right arm rendering it useless, the source of the spray of blood from earlier.</p><p>But her Master, and Kuzuki Souichirou, were nowhere to be seen.</p><p>"Berserker!"</p><p>Once she landed back on the ground, Shirou called out to her.</p><p>She turned to look at him, her mind frantically trying to contact and pin down Illya's location through their connection, yet it felt blurred and diffused, like something was blocking it. Her face remained still however, the picture of calm.</p><p>"Grant us safe passage to Ryuudou-jii, and we'll return Illya to you after we reach the temple."</p><p>These words that came from Shirou's mouth seemed so unlike him, but it confirmed her suspicions.</p><p>They had managed to capture Illya in the chaos earlier, and were using her as a hostage to escape. While she had been fighting the two of them earlier, they had made a desperate gamble to distract her, Saber fighting with sudden ferocity as she swung her sword with reckless abandon, a complete contrast to her style a few moments ago.</p><p>Pinned down by her desperate offense for a few seconds, that was all it took for Kuzuki to vanish, courtesy of the Mystic Code "Shadow-Treading" Carnwennan lent to him by Caster for emergencies. His Reinforcement was also provided by runes shaped like the swords she used as catalysts engraved on his body, a rudimentary physical copy of her staff serving as the main source linking her magecraft to him, so that she could support him even at long distances.</p><p>The moment he disappeared, Saber had unleashed Invisible Air, the strike of the repressed winds breaking through the ceiling and the floor under Illya's feet, Kuzuki jumping upwards while boosted by the wind to get behind her in an instant, grabbing her, knocking her out and then hiding away with her in a short period of time like how his assassination techniques taught him to.</p><p>Right as the fight started, Kuzuki had relayed this plan to Emiya, and made sure he mentally communicated it to Saber to secure her assistance. At first, Shirou was adamantly against it, but after assuring him that they wouldn't hurt her besides knocking her out, as just the threat alone would be enough, he conceded to follow it. He could also see Saber getting hurt in front of him, while he was powerless to do anything. Gritting his teeth, he agreed to the plan.</p><p>Berserker stared at Shirou for one long moment, wondering whether to take him as a hostage as well, before he spoke up again.</p><p>"Don't try anything either, you know what will happen if you try anything."</p><p>It disgusted him to say this, but he had no other choice. At least he knew that they wouldn't actually hurt Illya, which was the only thing that made him go along with the plan.</p><p>Berserker on the other hand, knew that if Shirou was the one who had kidnapped Illya, she had nothing to worry about. But if it was the cold, dead-faced Kuzuki, there was a high chance she would actually die to the teacher if Berserker tried to do anything to save Illya.</p><p>"Very well. Go ahead, take your Servant and get back to Ryuudou-jii. I won't chase you back, I swear on my honor as the heir to the Dark Rounds."</p><p>Emiya blinked, before nodding to her in relief, opening his mouth to thank her.</p><p>"Don't say anything, just leave."</p><p>Berserker flatly stopped him.</p><p>"Ahh, o-ok."</p><p>Helping Saber who had just crawled out of the hole, she leaned on his shoulder, blood staining his light brown school uniform as blood from the various wounds she had accumulated dripped on to the ground and onto her Master. Slowly, step by step, they made their way to the temple. Before they went far, Shirou paused.</p><p>"We'll drop her off at the entrance of Ryuudou-jii."</p><p>With that, they left for the mountain, Berserker following closely as she tried to detect Illya during the entire trip, Carnwennan completely foiling her attempts at every turn.</p>
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<a name="section0055"><h2>55. Chapter 55</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 55</p><p>Once they reached the foot of the mountain, Caster ran down the steps to greet them, her hair trailing behind her as she rushed down the steps two at a time.</p><p>"Are you the Master of Saber?"</p><p>She had felt the leylines fluctuate during Sabers summoning, and determined that it was most likely Emiya who had summoned her, since he was the one who possessed Avalon.</p><p>"Eh? You're also Saber?"</p><p>Having seen Berserker's face, he had just passed it off as coincidence that Saber and Berserker looked alike, helped by Berserker's different eye and hair color. However, Caster was almost a carbon copy of Saber's features, save that she was marginally younger than Saber, which could be seen from her stature.</p><p>Caster took one look at Saber and could immediately tell she was in bad condition, though she was still conscious. Whispering a few words under her breath, her Noble Phantasm that was currently linked with the leylines activated, the projection of her mental world conferring strength to her limbs and body, allowing her to stand up again without her Master's assistance.</p><p>"Let's go inside first before we discuss anything."</p><p>Berserker stood a few meters from the foot of the stairs, her hand loosely clutching the hilt of Necrocalibur, her eyes locked on Shirou alone.</p><p>Then, the air near the stairs shimmered, and like the mist parting under strong sunlight, the air separated to reveal Kuzuki with a bloodied forehead, clothes in disarray from the fight earlier, and cradled in his arms was the unconscious Illya, her body frail and small in contrast to his tall and lanky body. Slowly kneeling down, he gently laid her down on the ground, setting her legs and head down gradually so she didn't knock her head on the ground. Berserker watched him intently, her finger on the activation button of the lightsaber.</p><p>After putting her down, he backed away towards Caster, Saber and Shirou, his right hand tucking Carnwennan back into the hidden sheath on his back.</p><p>Berserker walked forward and picked up Illya, settling her into a princess carry and making sure she was comfortable and snug against her, casting one last glance towards the two Master and Servant pairs, before jumping off to the distant Einzbern manor.</p><p>None of them said a word for a moment, the night wind blowing gently against their faces.</p><p>"Let's go up and talk."</p><p>Caster turned around and led them up, Shirou reluctantly turning around to follow after staring at where Berserker had disappeared too, Kuzuki already heading up ahead of him.</p><p>"Are you alright Saber?"</p><p>He fell into place beside his Servant, unable to resist asking her because of all the wounds covering her entire body, almost completely different from how she had been when she had been first summoned.</p><p>In spite of all the marks on her body and armor, she still managed to walk up the steps with only a slight limp, the cuts on her face vanishing right in front of him. While she was strengthened by Caster's Noble Phantasm, it was mostly her sheer will that kept her moving forwards, the wounds on her body repairing themselves only on a superficial level.</p><p>"I'm fine, Master."</p><p>It was that moment that she didn't her leg high enough, her steel toed sabatons hitting the step as her momentum carried her upper body forward, her fatigue dulled senses unable to correct her in time.</p><p>"Oof!"</p><p>Reaching out his arms in alarm, Shirou barely managed to catch her, her metal breastplate knocking into his arms painfully, but he kept hold of her and walked to her left, shifting her less injured left arm over his neck to support her.</p><p>"M-Master, I can walk just fine."</p><p>Ashamed that she had to be supported by her Master like this in the same night she had been summoned in, she looked down at the stone steps, yet her body didn't act to let go of the support offered to her.</p><p>"I'm your Master, so it's only natural that I help you out. I couldn't help you at all earlier, but I can at least do this much."</p><p>He looked ahead to the top of the stairs, his eyes filled with guilt and frustration from the battle earlier where he had done nothing, his mouth set in a firm line.</p><p>Faced with her Master's resolve, she couldn't help but relent, leaning on his shoulder, allowing him to carry her weight as they took the stairs one step at a time.</p><p>Several flights ahead, Caster looked back down at them.</p><p>"Should we help them?"</p><p>Kuzuki stared at them as they made slow, but steady progress.</p><p>"No, it's fine."</p><p>Caster looked on, her face loosening from the tense moment with Berserker as she looked at the two beginning to acknowledge their roles as Servant and Master. Still, seeing Saber, Berserker and Assassin's faces, she could roughly tell what was going in the Holy Grail War now.</p><p>Soon after, they were seated in the guest room of the temple, the monks receiving the explanation that Shirou was staying over because of renovations going on at his house, with a brief greeting to Issei before he left with Caster and Kuzuki for the meeting.</p><p>The moment they settled into position around the chabudai, Caster bowed to Shirou and Saber.</p><p>"Thank you for becoming our allies in the war. Even if it's only for a short while, we'll be in your care."</p><p>In truth, she had been extremely worried about the Holy Grail War these last few days. Her first master, Atrum Galiasta, had been assassinated right behind her. Then her second Master Kuzuki had been heavily injured in the battle between Berserker, him and Assassin, permanently losing an arm while she was preoccupied with sealing the overloaded Rhongomyniad. Even with the new catalysts she had gained access too with the linking of the leylines to her as a power source, she still wasn't able to directly fight on the front lines in close-quarters combat like how she had seen Assassin and Berserker fought.</p><p>In the first place, the fact that Berserker and Assassin could fight like that was ridiculous. Berserker had showcased superb tactics on top of having physical parameters befitting a Berserker, and Assassin was actually able to face her in a serious duel. It spoke to how irregular the war was, and she was willing to bet that the other opponents in the war were also equally strong, so she needed to form an alliance if she wanted to survive.</p><p>She had sensed a summoning from the church, but she had been wary of approaching someone who had summoned a Servant at that location, which was supposed to be neutral ground. It was also the reason she hadn't sent Kuzuki to the church to verify information about the Holy Grail War with the supervisor stationed there, since there it was possible a Master could attack him there.</p><p>She also hadn't bothered with the Matou and Tohsaka houses, since the information offered to her during the summoning indicated they were the founding houses of the ritual, and knowing how mages were, she doubted they would be willing to form an alliance with a Master like Kuzuki. Hence, she was stuck in a bind until the final Servant was summoned by Shirou.</p><p>At the same time, she had also felt the presence of Avalon earlier, during the battle between Lancer, Archer and Assassin, the resonance between the two Artoria's forcing Avalon to manifest barely itself as their mana ran rampant at the school.</p><p>Her instincts had screamed at her to seek out the wielder of Avalon, so she had told Kuzuki to search the school for the person who held Avalon. He had been observing the battle from afar with Carnwennan cloaking him, and when he had spotted Emiya Shirou leaving the school grounds, he had followed Caster's instructions and followed him home to bring him back to the temple, but Lancer had interrupted, and Caster had simply deemed it safer for her Master to stay back and observe. After Shirou summoned Saber with his desperate wish to live, Kuzuki had moved in, and the rest proceeded as planned.</p><p>Shirou and Saber were caught off guard by the Servant suddenly prostrating herself in front of them, making Shirou scratch the back of his head in embarrassment, while Saber scrutinized the features of the Servant in front of them.</p><p>"Mm, well it's not like we've done anything yet. If anything, we'll be in your care as our senpais in the war." Saying so, lowered his head and also bowed to them in return.</p><p>"No no no, it should be me who's thanking you. You did help save my Master's life just now." She bowed down again.</p><p>"If he hadn't come to offer an alliance, he wouldn't have been endangered in the first place. It's sort of our fault in a way, so there's no really no need to thank us so much."</p><p>The back and forth went on for a bit, with Kuzuki staring at the two as Saber continued to analyse Caster's features. After seeing them go nowhere, Kuzuki intervened.</p><p>"Shall we get started?"</p><p>"Ah/Yes!"</p><p>The two of them were brought back to reality by his words, stopping their cycle of thanking each other.</p><p>Caster's face turned serious as she turned to both Saber and Shirou, her back straightening as she started to talk.</p><p>"Since Kuzuki already told you about the basics of the war, I won't go over that anymore. Instead, I'm sure you've noticed how the Servants all seem to have similar features, almost like they were relatives, right?"</p><p>Shirou thought back to all the Servants he had seen, and nodded.</p><p>"Ah wait, Archer wasn't like that at all."</p><p>He interjected after remembering the dark skinned man, nocking the spiralling arrow on his black bow beneath the dark sky.</p><p>"Yes, but with Archer as the sole exception, I'm sure that you've noticed that the rest all have a similar face."</p><p>"That's true."</p><p>Saber nodded in agreement with his words. She had only seen Lancer, Caster and Berserker, but she could tell that the latter two looked like younger versions of her, while Lancer had a helm that obscured her face. Even so, the horse she had been riding and her spear had definitely felt familiar.</p><p>Caster took a deep breath and continued.</p><p>"I've come to the conclusion that besides Archer, every Servant in the Fifth Holy Grail War is Artoria Pendragon, in one way or another."</p>
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<a name="section0056"><h2>56. Chapter 56</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 56</p><p>She had already discussed this before with Kuzuki, so his face didn't change at all. Emiya had just been introduced to the War, though he could still tell that this was a special occurrence, but his face was only vaguely confused. The only person who seemed to show any real reaction to this was Saber, turning her gaze downwards as she remembered the black armored knight riding the horse that had served her faithfully through the years, and the girl clad in futuristic armor wielding a sword of plasma.</p><p>"We have made contact with Assassin and Berserker, and we managed to observe Lancer and Archer a short time ago, then you, Saber, were summoned. Including me, that makes five of the seven Servants so far that we can confirm are Artorias, with similar faces and recognizable weapons. Although Lancer may hide her face under her helm, her status as the King of Storms, and the lance that she uses coupled with the horse that I'm sure you'll have recognized all but confirms her identity. Archer is an exception, and the only other Servant we have had yet to see is Rider, though she has been summoned."</p><p>She paused and tilted her head, remembering the golden servant she had fought when she first arrived.</p><p>"There's also an irregular Servant, but I'll talk about him later."</p><p>From their battle, she could largely tell he was most likely content to be a spectator to the War, showing an arrogant attitude and rambling on about "testing" her to see if she was fit for the War. Thinking about him still made her head ache sometimes.</p><p>Her words all but confirmed Saber's suspicions ever since she had seen Llamrei when Shirou had summoned her, and interest was piqued by the irregular Servant as well.</p><p>"But why would this happen?"</p><p>Shirou asked the question that was on everyone's minds.</p><p>Caster paused, then shook her head, a bit disappointed at herself for not being able to find out despite sitting right on top of the Greater Grail as she looked downwards, avoiding eye contact.</p><p>"Um, I don't really know. The best I can tell is that some sort of corruption is infesting the Greater Grail, and I have some theories regarding an outside force influencing the War through the system, but that's all I can tell. I'm sorry, my magecraft isn't really good at that kind of thing…"</p><p>She trailed off, Saber sympathizing with her as she realized who her mentor must have been. There was only one person who could have taught her magecraft, and even if they were from different timelines, she was absolutely sure that damn womanizer was in every single one of them. Despite how his character was, there was no denying his overwhelming ability that would qualify him for the title of Grand.</p><p>"Ah, don't worry, we'll figure it out together now since we're allies. Though I might not know much about magecraft, I'll do my best to help."</p><p>Seeing her embarrassed at her inability, Shirou couldn't help but give his piece, promising to help her as much as he could.</p><p>If it had been a normal magus, they would've scorned his help as a complete novice in the field. Some certain magi could tolerate him, and a rare few were able to take a liking to him. But Caster, or Artoria Pendragon, was no conventional magus, and she was taught by an even more unorthodox person.</p><p>"Ah, thanks." Being so worried for Kuzuki had been tiring, so having someone like him smile at her and offer his help really was reassuring. It seemed like her gamble to make an alliance with him wasn't wrong after all, despite his lack of knowledge or skills.</p><p>Kuzuki silently noted their exchange, his eyes reading their lips, eyes and body gestures. While he had indeed seen Emiya-san a lot at school, and was his teacher, he hadn't realized he was this open of a person. It was almost like he couldn't stay guarded against people, a naivety that was rare for his age, especially when he had just been dragged into a war between mages and talking with people who had only just declared themselves as his ally mere hours ago.</p><p>Although, he couldn't say that he disliked that about him. Even he could tell that Caster was worried about him, though she might try to hide it, which was understandable given what happened to her last Master. If the boy could calm her down, then all the better. He would simply watch over Caster in his own way. Which probably involved fists and lots of blood.</p><p>He did have his questions regarding the matter at hand though, and he voiced them.</p><p>"What kind of impact will this have on our strategy against the other Servants?"</p><p>"Why is there a version of me wielding a lightsaber?"</p><p>She couldn't help but ask it in her heart.</p><p>It was a practical worry, and one that Saber was already thinking about, her eyes narrowed as she thought back to what she had seen of the other Servant's abilities earlier.</p><p>"From what we've witnessed, I believe we can identify and counter several of our opponents, though we still remain in the dark about the others."</p><p>She picked up the staff lying next to her, channeling od into it to activate the framework embedded in the crystal and the pure white wood, a fresh scent of flowers invading the room as the magecraft was cast. While Shirou couldn't identify it, both Kuzuki and Saber could tell what it was. A fragrant, subtle aroma that refreshed the air, bringing to mind the white trumpet lilies.</p><p>In front of Kuzuki, Saber and Shirou's eyes, images formed out of nowhere, white petals coalescing from thin air to form three dimensional models of each Servant.</p><p>"For the first regular Servant that me and my Master faced, it was Assassin."</p><p>The white model of Assassin enlarged, taking up most of the empty space on the table. The petals fluttered about until the statue changed shape, turning into the blue jersey wearing servant with the sword behind her back, instead of the generic Assassin model it had been earlier. Saber took a closer look at the sword behind her back, and confirmed that it was indeed a very close to her own, at least in appearance.</p><p>"She has excellent agility and combat ability, though her strength is most likely lacking due to her class container. While she didn't seem to have Presence Concealment, unusual for her class, she had other abilities to make up for it. Blasts of energy coming through portals, and some type of damage magnifying as well."</p><p>"Damage magnification?"</p><p>Shirou hadn't heard of anything like this before, though his father had taught him that magecraft had many different schools.</p><p>"Yes, she was able to inflict wounds disproportionate to the actual blow, turning mere scratches into grievous wounds. However, this effect hasn't been observed with any other Servants yet, so we aren't sure of the specifics. There was an obvious difference between when she fought my Master and when she fought Berserker, though she only exchanged blows with him for a few moments."</p><p>Shirou nodded, satisfied with the explanation. Caster then tilted the staff, to the left, the model on the table moving off it and hovering in mid-air for a moment, before dissipating into a swarm of white petals that floated off on an unseen current of wind, disappearing as they tumbled in the air.</p><p>Another model came up to take its place. This time, it was the hooded Berserker, clutching a double-bladed lightsaber.</p><p>"She was the enemy we have the most information on, though the question of how far off her timeline is from ours still bothers me. Anyways, she most likely has high agility and strength, as well as excellent sword skills that are on par with Assassin's, allowing the two of them to go blow to blow on equal ground. Furthermore, she has telekinetic and electrokinetic abilities, and she thoroughly understands how to use them. Her unique weapon is also a dangerous, and difficult to deal with when compared to a normal sword. In addition, after Kuzuki told me about the fight you had with her earlier, it seems that she too has damage magnifying capabilities, as your wounds prove. However, we can't be sure if she has the same ability as Assassin, or if they're different in some way despite the effect being the same."</p><p>Saber touched the smooth skin hiding the deep hole in her body, acknowledging the fact that if it wasn't for Kuzuki's plan, she would have lost right then and there. Against Berserker, she was far from being able to go toe to toe with her.</p><p>"I'm sorry."</p><p>The sudden telepathic message surprised her, but she managed to resist the urge to look at her Master. He had seen her touch her wounds, and knew she was still recovering, yet he had done nothing to help her earlier, and was most likely holding her back as her Master, so he couldn't help but apologize.</p><p>As this happened, Caster waved her staff once more, sending Berserker off as the rest of them were introduced. One by one, Shirou became familiar with his opponents, and after that Caster helped to solve his confusion regarding some of the finer details in the War.</p><p>The moon still hung in the sky, but soon the sun would rise in the east and bring light to the city of Fuyuki again. Noticing the time on his miraculously undamaged Casio watch, he asked Caster.</p><p>"We should let them rest now. They've been through a long night."</p><p>Caster widened her eyes, finally realizing how long they'd been speaking for.</p><p>"Ah, sorry, I should have stopped our talk and let you two rest first. After all, both of you went through a difficult battle earlier."</p><p>"It's fine, I'm used to staying up late." Shirou often stayed up in the shed practicing and trying to fix the broken appliances.</p><p>"I concur with my Master, there's no need to worry about that."</p><p>Saber replied lightly, her face never betraying the pain of her wounds that were still closing at an agonizingly slow rate.</p><p>Caster smiled, but she still had one last thing to ask Shirou.</p><p>"Then let's get you to your rooms. But before that, Shirou can you give me Avalon?"</p><p>Immediately, Saber looked up in shock at her Master as her hands on her lap tightened, gripping her dress in surprise.</p><p>"Master, you have the scabbard?"</p><p>On the other hand, Shirou was genuinely confused, left in the dark as to why Caster seemed to look at him expectantly, while Saber was so surprised at what Caster had said, questioning him instantly.</p><p>"What are you talking about?"</p><p>Ever since Kiritsugu had implanted the Avalon, the Everdistant Utopia, into his body to heal him from the damage sustained in the fire, he had never mentioned or thought about retrieving it, even when he tried to go back to the Einzbern castle to save his daughter. In the end, he had simply left it in Shirou's body, the passive regeneration keeping him healthy all his life up til now.</p><p>Seeing Shirou tilt his head and scratch the back of his head with a confused smile, Caster decided that he'd need an explanation.</p><p>"Perhaps it would be easier if I just showed you."</p><p>She moved forward after standing up from the table, pressing her small hand against Shirou's chest and focusing on her mental image of the golden scabbard, decorated with blue enamel and glowing with its own light.</p><p>To Shirou's surprise, golden motes of light left his body, assembling into the shape of a sheath as more and more appeared, eventually culminating into a golden sheath that was not the work of man, but something else entirely.</p><p>"W-what's this?"</p><p>Having a sheath pulled out of their body would confuse anyone, but to Shirou it felt familiar, warm even.</p><p>Caster gingerly held the sheath in her hands, the item reacting to her and creating a soft, warm light that made even Kuzuki relax a little.</p><p>"This is Avalon, the scabbard that made King Arthur immortal." Instead of Caster, it was Saber who replied to his question.</p><p>"It made him immortal?"</p><p>"Yes, and it was one of the main reasons he died, because he lost the protection of this sheath."</p><p>Caster traced a finger along the blue lines adorning the surface, her mana poured in the scabbard through it. As expected, it was the real thing. However, it didn't seem like it would fully work with her, despite the fact that she was also Artoria Pendragon.</p><p>"May I?"</p><p>Holding her hands together to Caster, Saber asked to hold the scabbard. Caster nodded, carefully slipping the sheath into her waiting hands. The moment Saber touched it, the sheath brightened for a moment, the glow lighting up the room, before it died down, the sheath the same as always on the surface, but possessing a different glow than before.</p><p>"It seems that it recognizes you as it's true owner."</p><p>"That does seem to be the case."</p><p>Saber agreed with Caster, as she could feel the link between her and Avalon now.</p><p>"In that case, the regeneration ability should be active. Then, can you borrow it?"</p><p>This time, Caster went into a full dogeza, actually bowing her head to the ground on top of her two hands as the staff was set aside, her knees tucked into her body as her blond hair laid on the ground, the twin tails trailing on the ground beside her.</p><p>Saber was a bit taken aback by her actions, taking a step back unconsciously.</p><p>"Why do you need to use it?"</p><p>"My Master lost his arm, and I've been looking for ways to restore it, but I haven't found anything yet. But if Avalon is as powerful as I remember it to be, then it should work."</p><p>Shirou glanced at Saber, and she met his gaze. A moment passed between them, words unneeded as the look in their eyes said everything they needed to say.</p><p>Saber turned back to Caster, still on the ground with her face facing the floor.</p><p>"If it's only this much, it's fine. Take it."</p><p>Saber knelt down and lifted Caster up, pushing the sheath into her embrace.</p><p>Clutching the golden artifact to her chest tightly, she bowed down from her waist once again.</p><p>"Thank you very much!"</p><p>Then she rushed out of the room, Kuzuki standing up to follow her.</p><p>"Ah, your rooms are next door. I'm sorry I can't show you around personally, but you should be able to get there easily."</p><p>With that, he left the room, shutting the sliding door behind him, leaving Saber and Shirou alone. Saber watched the two of them go. Deep down, she really wanted to ask Caster how she had stepped onto the path of being a magus, but she decided that could wait.</p>
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<a name="section0057"><h2>57. Chapter 57</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 57</p><p>Kuzuki followed Caster back to his private room near the edges of the temple ground, watching her lay the scabbard on the ground and unroll the futon for him to lie on.</p><p>"How will we do this?"</p><p>Although Caster had mentioned that Avalon could help heal him, she hadn't really told him the specifics yet.</p><p>"Just lie down on the futon, and I'll reopen the stump on your left arm to reattach the rest of the left arm, keep it in place somehow and disassemble Avalon into your body for the passive regeneration to work. With its original owner nearby, even something like a missing limb should be a piece of cake for it."</p><p>Though whether reopening the wound on his stump would qualify it as an injury that could reconnect his arm, or whether the stump would register as the natural state that the scabbard would revert to was still something she was unsure of. Even so, she still had to try. After all, it was because she couldn't protect her Master properly that made him lose his arm.</p><p>"Just wait here, I'll fetch your arm."</p><p>She left him in the room and headed to the kitchen. Opening the fridge the monks kept there to store ice packs and various foodstuff used for Shojin Ryori (Buddhist cuisine), such as abura-age (fried soybean curd), natto (fermented soybeans) and konnyaku (konjac plant firm jelly). There were also the usual soy sauce, mirin and dashi stock in there as well. But located in the deep freeze shelf, where meat products were usually placed, and which was almost exclusively packed with ice packs in the by the monks, was a long irregular package wrapped in cloth and bound with twine, with one end soaked red, the liquid frozen and making the arm stick to the floor of the fridge shelf.</p><p>Caster didn't have any knowledge regarding the preservation of body parts, and could only erect a primitive Bounded Field keeping out dust and other harmful particles in the air around it, so Kuzuki suggested using the fridge when she asked about any possible methods to preserve his arm for future use with modern technology.</p><p>Fortunately, her illusion magecraft she had learnt from Merlin helped her disguise the arm as part of the ice packs, allowing it to elude the monks' notice every time they opened the fridge.</p><p>Taking out the rock solid piece of flesh, she closed the fridge and hurried back to Kuzuki's room, carrying the icy arm tightly to avoid dropping it and smashing it in the frozen state it was in.</p><p>Kuzuki had already taken off his usual clothes, and was waiting in the room with his upper body bare, his lean, toned muscles packed into every inch of his thin body visible for the world to see. Caster barely spared them a glance, instead focusing on the stump that had just healed over in the past few days. Hopefully it wasn't completely healed yet.</p><p>She summoned the catalyst Dyrnwyn, the White Hilt that was known as one of the Thirteen Treasures of Britain. The blade ignited upon appearing, the simple white hilt turning red through the flames, yet the hilt also shone brighter than if it was flameless, the white on the hilt almost blinding, the origin of it's namesake coming from the blinding white hilt. Caster lowered the burning sword until it was close to the severed arm on the floor, allowing the heat to defrost it.</p><p>"Please lie down on the futon." Kuzuki complied, turning his back to her, and then lying down on it, relaxing his breathing as Caster pulled out the scalpel they had managed to procure.</p><p>She knelt down next to her Master on the left side, her knees pressed against the tatami mat as she leaned forward, the scalpel placed on the side of the futon as she shifted her body into a comfortable and secure position. Once she was satisfied, she picked up the scalpel, and braced her left hand on the stump, holding the scalpel gingerly as she attempted to make the first cut.</p><p>The scalpel slipped into the white skin, cutting into the uneven, ridged flesh that was scabbed and dark all over, dried blood still clinging to small crevices in the half-healed area. The white of the bone was no longer visible, but several small tubes and the muscle structure could be observed through the indentations in the growing scabs covering the area, charred black bits of skin still clinging on stubbornly from when the heat of the lightsaber cauterized it. She had attempted first aid at the time, and used some rudimentary spells, but had ended up opening new wounds near the stump while she tried to treat him, making it even worse.</p><p>This time though she vowed to heal him. Her hand remained steady for a few seconds, cutting through the flesh like water.</p><p>*Shlck*</p><p>Then it slipped, passing through a large swath of flesh swiftly to carve a needlessly large chunk of flesh from the stump. Instantly, Kuzuki's body tensed, the muscles flexing and contracting from the pain as it stiffened, yet all he let out was a simple grunt.</p><p>"I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"</p><p>With her hands shaking even more badly, she picked up the scalpel and went to work once more, but no matter how long she waited, the scalpel still kept trembling in her hands.</p><p>Then a warm, calloused and bony hand clutched her wrist, firmly gripping it.</p><p>"Master?"</p><p>He didn't say anything, simply holding her wrist while it trembled.</p><p>The warmth of his hand passed through her cool skin and into her body, the room silent besides the sound of Caster's rough, unsteady breathing, and Kuzuki's silent, controlled breaths.</p><p>Then the shaking died down in her hand. Looking down at the scalpel, she realized it was no longer shivering uncontrollably. She was inhaling and exhaling at a much slower rate now as well, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.</p><p>Kuzuki let go of her wrist, and laid back on the bed, patiently waiting for her to start.</p><p>Despite the sudden cold sensation on her wrist from his hand leaving it, it didn't shake at all, remaining steady.</p><p>Moving towards the stump, she positioned the scalpel once more, and pressed onto the flesh, slicing through the wound to reopen it.</p><p>This time, the scalpel traced a line around the circular stump, cutting in a circle that just cut away at the skin that was growing on it without cutting away any excess flesh. The white bone and red marrow was exposed one more, before Caster hurriedly cut open the package and pushed the bloody, dripping arm into the wound, a sickening squelch occurring when the two came into contact.</p><p>Quickly, she grabbed two wooden boards and set them on both sides, the side of the boards parallel to the floor, then she cut large strips of duct tape and bound the boards together tightly, holding the severed arm and stump in place. Without missing a beat, she raised the scabbard and closed her eyes, the golden sheath disintegrated into sparks of light that descended onto Kuzuki's body, the flesh absorbing it until all traces of the golden shower were gone.</p><p>Throughout the entire process, Kuzuki remained silent barring the occasional grunt of pain, trusting his Servant to do everything perfectly.</p><p>Once she confirmed Kuzuki had taken the scabbard into his body, Caster spoke to him.</p><p>"It's done. Rest up for now, and the next morning we should now know if it works or not."</p><p>With that, she dematerialized, leaving Kuzuki in the room to rest as best he could.</p><p>Kuzuki closed his eyes, compartmentalizing the pain and then falling into a trance-like state that rested his body, while allowing him to remain conscious enough to keep his arm from unconsciously moving.</p><p>Outside the room, Caster gazed at the moon as she thought back to what had just happened.</p><p>"It seems that no matter what I do, I'm bound to meet with difficulties."</p><p>But even after Atrum died, she had met Kuzuki. Even after Kuzuki lost his arm, she had met Saber and Emiya-san, and then obtained Avalon to heal him as well.</p><p>"But as long as I continue walking down this path, I'll always meet people who will help me overcome them."</p><p>Not just a strengthening of physical abilities, this was her ability that called people to her, her fate that entangled many so that she borrowed their strength to reach the end of her journey. With Kuzuki healed again, she'd have one less worry in her heart. He could have reopened the wound himself, but in the end he had trusted her to do it. Once again, she was astounded she'd found such a strange, but tolerant Master. Clearly, her last Master's Command Seals had been highly effective.</p><p>Now, all she had to do was wait for morning to come.</p>
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<a name="section0058"><h2>58. Chapter 58</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 58</p><p>Steel scratched the concrete floor, the wind sweeping across the roof as Rin's hair fluttered with it. Beside them, Assassin dropped Gray to her feet, Add grumbling as he finally stopped rattling around in the cage from the large jumps they had made to reach the rooftop.</p><p>"This is the place you wanted to go to?"</p><p>Gray had let Rin set the place where they could talk, in order to make her more comfortable and prove that they weren't going to ambush in a prepared location. As a result, they had arrived at Center Building, the tallest building in the Shinto district, overlooking the distinctive red bridge of the city four kilometers away that served as it's signature landmark.</p><p>Rin nodded.</p><p>"So, why do you want to forge an alliance with me?"</p><p>While she wasn't completely against the idea of an alliance, there was no reason she should ally with the representatives of the Mage's Association, and they hadn't given her any incentive yet. She also felt that Archer was strong enough, and thought the battle with Lancer earlier had shattered her preconceptions regarding duels between Servants, she was still confident in Archer's abilities.</p><p>Gray recognized this, and prepared to reply the way her mentor had told her to.</p><p>"We're prepared to offer a sizable amount of gems as a token of our trust and sincerity."</p><p>Pulling out a velvet bag drawn shut with a golden cord of thread, the contents of the bag clicked against each other as Gray thrust it towards Rin, with the recipient almost dropping the bag from how heavy it was, in spite of its deceptive appearance.</p><p>"Y-You're giving all this to me?"</p><p>She drew the thread to open the sack, and put one arm into the dark opening of the sack to draw out one of the precious stones stored in it. Holding up the stone to the moonlight, it sparkled under the light, refracting the rays between its lustrous facets, each side perfectly regular to form a hexagon, a white glow emanating from the opaque body of the gem. The surfaces were polished to an abnormally high degree, likely through the use of magecraft, and Rin could feel how sharp the edges were just by rubbing it with her fingers, her flesh running past the smooth surface like wind on water, the material hard and unyielding.</p><p>The gem was a top-grade product, perfect for her magecraft, to the point that she could almost feel it begging for her to pour energy into it.</p><p>She was stuck in a daze for a moment, staring at the priceless gem, before she quickly put it back in the bag, and then withdrew another one. The process repeated several times, until she was finally satisfied, putting the drawstring bag into Archer's hands as she faced Gray again.</p><p>"Hmph, since I accepted your gifts so graciously, I'll at least hear you out, but don't think I'll be bought so easily." However, the blush gave her away.</p><p>"So easy."</p><p>"She's easy."</p><p>"This girl is too easy."</p><p>Add, Assassin and Archer had the same thought simultaneously while looking at her face, whilst Gray carried on without noticing it.</p><p>"Un, I'm glad you've accepted our gift. The purpose of the alliance with you, the representative of the Tohsaka family that is the Second Owner of the land, is to unravel the mystery behind the Holy Grail system and the problems that have been plaguing the Holy Grail War for a while now. We have discovered traces of a foreign element inhabiting the Greater Grail, and we intend to use the Fifth Holy Grail War as our chance to inspect the Holy Grail, and if possible dismantle it if the need arises. To analyse the Grail, we will need people of expertise and that are familiar with the land and the system, so to this end we have decided to form an alliance with you Tohsaka-san."</p><p>Originally, they shouldn't have known at all about the presence of corruption in the Grail. However, this time a certain doctor had tipped off El-Melloi, or to be more precise, his Servant had. After leaving the train, he had consulted with various professors, before calling for a meeting with the relevant people and presenting his "evidence" to them, a souvenir that the doctor had picked up when he had inspected the Grail earlier, just like what Francesca Prelati had done.</p><p>And now, the evidence was shown to Rin as well, in order to prove to her that they weren't just checking the Grail on a mere whim or as cover for their true agenda.</p><p>When Rin saw the object that Gray unwrapped after retrieving it from a sealed wooden box, her hair stood on end, her eyes riveted on it as Archer narrowed his eyes at it, his eyes running over every detail on the plain, but deadly blade.</p><p>It was a crude knife, no larger than a steak knife, with a wooden handle roughly fashioned like a makeshift job, the blade hardly sharpened at all, with the gray surface mottled and dull, unable to reflect the moonlight like Archer's twin blades could. But while it could not reflect, it could certainly absorb, the light seemingly twisting and scattering around the blade, almost as if it was made of smoke, but one blink from Rin dispelled that illusion, returning to its original solid form. Still, it seemed to make the light undulate around it, even though her eyes were telling her it was solid and that the blade was merely too dull to reflect light.</p><p>"What is that?"</p><p>Rin whispered, her attention focused on the blade that prompted an inexplicable sense of dread deep in her gut. Even as she spoke, sweat rolled down her back, the chilly night air suddenly dropping in temperature.</p><p>Gray struggled to keep hold of the knife and not drop it out of disgust and physical reflex, her gag reflex triggering the moment it was unwrapped as a horrid stench hit her nose, before it suddenly disappeared, leaving her stomach to roil and turn in confusion. Even with the sealing strips of fabric preventing direct contact, she could still feel something akin to the sensation of an acid burn where it rested on her palms, the pain throbbing as it spread bit by bit, cell by cell.</p><p>"Ngh, it's a, it's a knife filled with the presence that inhabits the Grail."</p><p>The doctor had taken a certain amount of soil and processed it until he had the concentrated grudges, then he had stuck a piece of metal into the shapeless black mud and soaked it there, before finally constructing it into a knife, in order to test the capabilities of the curses that had caught his interest.</p><p>It took Gray an enormous amount of effort to push down the bile rising up her throat, her face turning even paler than it was until she looked like a ghost, her forehead damp from sweat as her body started trembling. As if reacting to her physical distress, the blade seemed to start to emit black smoke, the stinging pain on her palms intensifying.</p><p>*swish*</p><p>Assassin's hand darted out in a blur, pinching the end of the white fabric to wrap the knife with a flick of the wrist, the fabric twisting around the knife until it was securely wrapped up, and then she grabbed the box on Gray's waist and deposited it inside, ignoring the black patches that had suddenly appeared on the originally pure white cloth, and closed the box's lid securely.</p><p>Gray swayed to the left once the knife was sealed, her legs buckling beneath her as they almost gave up, but she managed to catch herself in time, with Assassin's arm wrapped around her waist to support her as well.</p><p>"That's, *ha*, that's the reason why we decided to investigate the Grail."</p><p>Rin gulped, her hair still stiff as the goosebumps all over her body refused to go down. Despite its plain appearance and underwhelming size, the knife had been enough to almost make her shoot a Gandr at it by instinct, and seeing its effect on Gray was enough to convince her on how dangerous it was. Even just by looking it from a few meters away was enough to make her feel uncomfortable, and she could only imagine how Gray had felt when she held the knife.</p><p>Still, she hadn't completely lost her wits, and she could tell that the knife was endowed with some kind of curse or grudge that gave it those properties, though it was absurdly strong to be able to influence the two of them like this. Just being in its presence was already enough to make them react physically to it.</p><p>"That was just a knife stained by the residue left behind in the last war by the entity we suspect is currently inhabiting the Greater Grail." Gray finally caught her breath, and continued talking.</p><p>It was just a stain?</p><p>That was an alarming thought. Rin wondered how she had missed something so big like this, which was literally lying right under her nose in the lands she was supposed to watch over as the Second Owner.</p><p>"We also suspect that the reason anti-heroes from the Throne have been able to appear is because of the entity in the Grail that has corrupted it's functions, and it could also affect the final wish granted by the Grail when the final victor appears."</p><p>Finally, Gray looked in the direction of the forlorn, abandoned park erected in the Shinto district.</p><p>"We also discovered records of a great fire here, and after investigating the area and taking samples, we compared the residual curses in the area to the knife and found that they were almost identical."</p><p>Rin's face turned somber as she remembered the tragedy that happened in the last war.</p><p>Gray turned back to her.</p><p>"In order to prevent further large-scale incidents from happening, we hope to work together with you to uncover the truth behind the Greater Grail. Will you become our ally?"</p><p>Rin lowered her face to the floor, her mind running through the implications of what she had just seen, and the potential dangers it posed to the war, as well as the risks and benefits of allying with Gray.</p><p>A moment later, she looked back up at Gray and held out her hand.</p><p>"I will become your ally to reveal the problem behind the Grail, since I was negligent in my responsibility as the Second Owner and failed to discover this."</p><p>Gray shook her hand in return, her pale white hand brushing against the delicate fingers of Rin's.</p><p>"I look forward to working together in the future."</p><p>She gave a smile of relief, glad they wouldn't have to fight.</p><p>Rin wondered why she was smiling so brightly at her, the smallest hint of a blush entering her face.</p><p>"W-well, we can reconvene at a later date to discuss the alliance and our opponents. Until next time."</p><p>Archer picked her up in a princess embrace, leaping the roof in one massive bound and gliding through the night sky, high above the sleeping populace.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0059"><h2>59. Chapter 59</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 59</p><p>Reclining on the hard wooden benches of the chapel, Gilgamesh sipped the dark wine from the golden cup slowly, savouring the rich taste that spread across his tongue with the red liquid that flowed into his mouth.</p><p>"It seems that the final Servant has been summoned."</p><p>Kirei's voice rang across the silent chapel, the chessboard that served as the notification for the summoning of Servants lighting up as the Saber piece turned from dull black to silver, the surface glinting under the soft yellow light from the circular chandelier hanging from the ceiling.</p><p>Gilgamesh took another moment to sip his wine.</p><p>"Is that so? It seems that the assembly of mongrels is complete then. I look forward to seeing the show."</p><p>Gilgamesh directed his red eyes to Kirei's back.</p><p>"You are free to do anything you wish, as long as it proves to be entertaining."</p><p>Kirei kept his gaze on the board as he asked the golden king a question.</p><p>"During her scouting missions Lancer noticed that there was an uncanny resemblance between all the other Servants, including herself. The only exception was the red Archer that she fought at the school. Would you happen to know anything about this, your Highness?"</p><p>Gilgamesh rocked the wine in his cup, swirling it in circles as the liquid went round and round in circles.</p><p>"Who knows? Perhaps the Grail has acquired another new quirk. Regardless, this war will be an interesting one, and you will surely have a place to play in it, Kotomine Kirei."</p><p>Kotomine Kirei lowered his head in thought. Perhaps now would be a good time to pay his protege a visit, since she had just summoned her own Servant.</p><p>His lips curved into a smile at the thought of the expression she'd wear if he showed up on her doorstep announced.</p><p>Far off in a distant alley, a woman collapsed onto the ground as worms burrowed through her pale skin and into the flesh below, their pointed teeth ringing the open hole that barely qualified as a mouth chewing through the soft meat at a prodigious rate, the white skin swelling up with their bodies as they squeezed under her skin and squirmed to and fro into the soft organs of their host, consuming the material as energy. The woman's expression never changed as they ate through her, a permanent expression of pure ecstasy etched on it. Her eyes were rolled into the back of her head, the corners of her lips upturned as drool leaked from the left side of her mouth to drip onto the ground, her neck lolling against the brick wall behind her as snot dribbled out, while tears fell in a steady stream from her eyes. Occasionally, she would let out a soft moan that barely rose above the sickening squelching noises of her body being consumed.</p><p>The mental energy created after a normal human female was sexually stimulated wasn't much, but Zouken needed all the energy he could get, since most of his familiars and the energy stored in them were destroyed when Rider had "cleaned" the house. The basement was now in ruins, flooded and unusable, with only the emergency stashes of worms he had scattered across the city surviving, and even those were slowly being hunted down through after Rider had picked up the "scent" of his magecraft from the Book of False Attendant, which was composed of the same Lust Worms that were currently devouring the woman, allowing Rider to track down the hidden worms one by one. Still, she was unable to find them all, given how large the city was, and how well he had hidden them. In addition, she was unable to remove the worms in her own Master's body as well, since they were in a, to put it lightly, delicate position.</p><p>Hence, he was on a hunting spree almost every night ever since Rider had been summoned, stockpiling magical energy as much as he could, so he had ordered the worms to consume even the flesh, even with how little mana it provided in terms of efficiency. He had even begun hunting males as well, despite the difference in the amount he could absorb from them when compared to females, because he couldn't afford to be picky about his targets any longer. The missing people count was rising steadily, and it was getting more and more difficult to find prey with less people out at night, and more police on the prowl. If anything, he didn't want to attract the attention of the police either, so he was forced to lay low and pick people that would be easily missed.</p><p>Thankfully, most of his Blood Worms had survived intact, the anchor of his soul to the world remaining, saving him the trouble of regenerating an entire body and all his Crest Worms from the sole Blood Worm in Sakura's chest, a backup he had planned for the worst-case scenario.</p><p>Suddenly, he felt a disturbance in the worms.</p><p>The leylines near the Greater Grail had activated, the force created alerting his worms planted in the soil near its location. Without a doubt, the last Servant had been summoned.</p><p>"Hoho, so the war has finally begun…"</p><p>For now, he would watch from the shadows and wait for an opportunity to arise. Biding his strength was the only choice for now, and there was sure to be chaos on the battlefield when the Masters clashed against each other, chaos which he could take advantage of and turn to his benefit.</p><p>"Hmmm, I wonder if I could take control of a Servant, hehe."</p><p>His worms continued feasting on the woman as his body dissipated into worms that fell into the sewers through a nearby manhole, the swarm of wriggling bodies pushing along the concrete and leaving behind a trail of slime as they went to the next prey.</p><p>Within the Grail, the slumbering god continued dreaming of the day when it would be born to dye the world crimson, while the sliver of consciousness with sufficient willpower to act contemplated it's handiwork.</p><p>"This should be effective in the next few days, probably."</p><p>This was probably the hardest Angra Mainyu had ever worked, either in life or during his time as a Servant. Though the being that was doing this wasn't exactly Angra Mainyu the Servant or Angra Mainyu the human either. Wiping the nonexistent sweat off of his brow, he triggered the latent systems in the Grail that he had been suppressing beforehand. With this, if it worked, there was a possibility he could meddle in the war directly as well, and exact revenge against Saber and that idiot Kiritsugu's son earlier than expected.</p><p>"Heh, this should be the perfect tool to destroy them all."</p>
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<a name="section0060"><h2>60. Chapter 60</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 60</p><p>"Shirooouuuuuu."</p><p>The tiger stalked the empty hallways, ready to pounce the moment it spotted it's prey. Yet no matter how loudly it growled, her prey never appeared, even after it went through each and every room in the residence, including the miniature dojo and the shed that he loved to sleep in.</p><p>"SHIIIIRRROOOOUUUUUU!"</p><p>Sakura bolted through the door when she heard the tiger roar, rushing in to see what was going on, and if her Senpai was in danger of being mauled by one hungry tiger.</p><p>On the other side of Miyama Town, Shirou woke up with the sensation of something warm pressed to his side. The diffused sunlight coming through the paper screen walls perfectly illuminated the growing blush on his face as he realized that there was an attractive female pressed against him in a vulnerable position, and the physical reactions in his lower body when he woke up weren't helping either. To make matters worse, the dress Caster had lent her was a tad too small, only going up to her mid upper thighs, while the dress was slipping off one shoulder as well.</p><p>"Ahhh, she smells nice."</p><p>The stray thought entered his head as he accidentally took a whiff of the smell coming from her luxurious golden hair, let down when she went to bed. In the position they were currently in, her hair was splayed across his right arm and shoulder as her head rested close to his chest, just slightly below his right shoulder. His chin could touch the top of her head if he tried to look downwards, and her right leg was resting across his own legs diagonally, while her right arm was also draped across his stomach, her fingers tickling the elbow of his left arm.</p><p>As Shirou struggled to think of a way to extricate himself out of this awkward position before any of the monks or Kuzuki and Caster found him, his mind turned to how stubborn she had been last night to sleep next to him.</p><p>"Master, I won't be able to protect you if I sleep too far away from you."</p><p>Saber knelt on the ground in the clothes Caster had lent her, obstinately blocking Shirou from picking up her futon and moving it somewhere further away.</p><p>"Look, I understand that you're trying to protect me, but we're already under Caster's protection, so there's no need to sleep so close to me."</p><p>Of course, there was also the fact that he just couldn't sleep in peace next to a girl like Saber. He was desperately trying to keep his blush from showing on his face, but a small hint of red still leaked through, although Saber was unable to pick up on the hint.</p><p>"There's still a chance that an enemy could break through or sneak in, and when that happens I need to be as close to you as possible to protect you."</p><p>Saber was unwilling to budge, especially since her insufficient mana supply drastically weakened her, which forced her to stay next to Shirou in order to receive as much mana as she could while also conserving the mana needed to travel to his side and react to any sudden surprise attacks.</p><p>"You can just sleep next door. Hang on, I'll go ask Souichirou-sensei about it."</p><p>Heading into the chilly night, he closed the shoji behind him, before he realized he had no idea where sensei was. Shouting for him seemed to be impolite to do, since most of the monks were asleep, and it didn't seem right to trouble the monks by waking them up, so he could only search the rooms one by one to see where he was.</p><p>Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw Caster rushing from one building to a room close to theirs, carrying a long white object in her hands. Thinking he'd be able to ask her about the rooms, he followed her to the room.</p><p>Caster opened the door and shut it behind her, with shuffling noises coming from inside as Shirou approached it. Just as he was about to knock on the door, he heard Caster speak in a serious tone.</p><p>"Please lie down on the futon."</p><p>After that, he heard the sound of the futons fabric being crinkled as someone laid on top of it, the rustling of the skin and fabric reaching him in the quiet grounds of the temple. His fist stopped, and then lowered, the unknown situation inside the room causing him to hesitate.</p><p>A few moments later, a brilliant glow lit up the shoji and walls, a warm light seeping through as shadows danced against the walls, turning it into something like a shadow puppet show.</p><p>"Ngh."</p><p>Upon hearing sensei's grunt of pain, Shirou almost threw open the doors, but then he heard the sound of a metallic object clattering onto the tatami mats, as well as Caster whimpering while she apologized. But he managed to display a rare show of restraint, instead exercising caution as he slowly cracked the door open by an inch and peeked into the room.</p><p>What he saw was the golden scabbard, the sheath they had called Avalon earlier lying on the ground, as well as a scalpel near the stump of-a stump!?</p><p>Taking a second glance at sensei's left arm, he realized that it was actually severed from the elbow downwards, and it was a fairly recent injury as well, judging by the state it was in.</p><p>A scalpel lay close to the stump, while Caster's wrist was gripped by Kuzuki as he stared into Caster's eyes.</p><p>…</p><p>Shirou slowly and silently closed the doors, making sure not to alert them to his presence, then carefully made his way back to their room.</p><p>"Master, I am-"</p><p>"Let's go to sleep Saber."</p><p>Saber mouth opened slightly at him agreeing so readily, before she slipped into the futon next to him, leaving a space of one body between them.</p><p>"Then, goodnight Master."</p><p>"Ah, you can also call me Shirou. Master is a bit, ah, uncomfortable for me."</p><p>Saber mulled on it for a while.</p><p>"Goodnight, Shirou."</p><p>"Goodnight Saber."</p><p>With that, she went to sleep almost immediately, and Shirou passed out almost instantly as well from the exhaustion of the day's events crashing down on him.</p><p>Which led to the two of them entangled together in the morning. Seriously, how had she gotten here? She didn't seem to be the type to roll around in her sleep at all, but in any case he was in a bad spot. How should he get her off without waking her up?</p><p>*shak*</p><p>"Emiya-san, are you-ah, I'll come back later."</p><p>Caster averted her eyes when she saw Saber in a state of undress clinging to Shirou, quickly dashing away after she shut the door, amazed at how far their Master and Servant had come in a single night.</p><p>"H-Hey! Come back, don't misunderstand this!"</p><p>Back at the Emiya Residence, Sakura mentally contacted Rider to search for her senpai, while Taiga got on the phone with her father.</p><p>"Yeah, he's missing, and there's fricking holes and blood on the floor and walls! Something must have happened here, so tell the boys to get their asses out there and start canvassing the neighbourhood for him pops!"</p><p>She stuffed the phone into her pocket after hanging up and grabbed her beloved wooden shinai that had beaten countless opponents, the tiger charm glinting ominously under the sunlight.</p><p>"Grrrrr, I'll make whoever hurt you regret it, Shirou."</p><p>A dark smile graced her face as she jumped on the scooter and went to search on her own.</p><p>Meanwhile, Sakura stood in the kitchen with an empty, lifeless face, her eyes directed at the spot that her senpai would always be when making breakfast with her.</p><p>"Senpai…"</p><p>Within her, the worms squirmed as they fed off her despair and fear.</p>
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<a name="section0061"><h2>61. Chapter 61</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 61</p><p>After spending the morning suppressing the urge to sniff Saber's hair and prying her off him, he managed to complete his morning routine and eat a simple breakfast with the monks, consisting of lotus roots and tofu with rice. After he finished the meal, he was about to go out with Issei to school, walking all the way from the temple to Homuhara for the first time, when he spotted Caster approaching him near the temple gates.</p><p>"Can I talk to you for a moment?"</p><p>He turned to Issei.</p><p>"You go on ahead, I'm going to talk to Artia-san for a moment."</p><p>Artia Penelope was the name she was using as part of her false identity, created for convenience when Kuzuki needed to introduce her to the monks.</p><p>Issei nodded and continued walking down the stairs, while Shirou gave Caster his full attention.</p><p>"Master has yet to recover yet, so he's requesting a day off from school and won't be able to go with you to Homuhara Academy. It seems like Saber is also still recovering from her injuries, so she'll still be sleeping for a while. While I don't recommend going out in the open without either Master or your Servant by your side, since it's broad daylight, I doubt any of the enemy Masters would try something. Also, you've only just summoned your Servant, so your identity should only be known to my Master and the Master of Berserker, Einzbern-san. As long as you don't do anything to attract attention, you should be safe."</p><p>She paused.</p><p>"Though it would be better for you to stay next to Saber to speed up the healing process, I can still do my best to hasten her recovery by siphoning some of the energy from the leylines through me to her. It would still be best if you were there, but I won't stop you if you want to go to school."</p><p>Ah, so that was why she still hadn't woken up. He would've expected her to be awake before him with how dutiful she had seemed to be, but if she was still recovering then it couldn't be helped. In addition, while he didn't figure it out, she had rolled over to him while they were sleeping because she needed mana to recover, and shortening the physical distance while having skin-to-skin contact helped transfer mana more efficiently, which prompted her body to automatically roll over to him.</p><p>Though if he could help her in any way, then he'd do so. She had protected him last night against Berserker with her own life, and was the main reason she was still lying in the room and resting. Even putting that aside, he was her Master, and had the responsibility to support her. He still hadn't fully accepted his role in the Holy Grail War, and his mind still felt detached from it all, but he couldn't just ignore someone who needed his help, much less someone only he could help.</p><p>"If she can heal faster in my presence, I can skip a day of school and stay-"</p><p>"Oi! Isn't that Shirou there?"</p><p>From below them, two muscular men dressed in back leather jackets walked up to him and called out to Shirou.</p><p>"Boy, anue called us for help in looking for you, so you'd better call her soon! She's in a bad mood right now, and you know best what happens when she's like that…"</p><p>Even the yakuza shivered when the thought of Taiga in one of her moods entered their minds.</p><p>Shirou on the other hand, was shocked that Taiga had gone so far as to contact the yakuza to help out, because she rarely relied on her father's connections for herself. Then again, the scene he had left at the Emiya residence wasn't exactly assuring either.</p><p>"Well, we'd better go now to avoid pissing off the Ryuudou ojii-san, so see ya around kid."</p><p>They went back down the stairs to call off the search.</p><p>Shirou turned back to face Caster.</p><p>"Ah, it seems like I'll have to go and take care of some business. If I don't come back within 24 hours, you can have Kuzuki become Saber's master." With a strained smile, he turned around and made the trip to face his impending doom in the form of a voracious tiger that stalked the streets of Fuyuki.</p><p>He managed to catch a bus close by that stopped near the academy, and when he reached the school gates, he saw a palpable aura floating in the, a red killing intent that repulsed the students trying to enter the school gate, the shape akin to a furious yaksha. Standing there with Torashinai in hand, was Fujimaru Taiga the Tiger of Fuyuki. A little bit behind her on her right, was Matou Sakura, completely unaffected by the murderous air pouring off Taiga. She was wearing a worried expression, her eyes downcast as she kept her hands clutched close to her chest.</p><p>Slowly, Shirou approached the two of them cautiously, putting one foot in front of the other with some effort. There were no bystanders at all, each of them hurrying through the gate to avoid the immense pressure of being near Taiga. The only people watching Emiya confront Taiga did so from a safe distance, from the classroom windows.</p><p>"Good morning Fuji-nee, Sakura-san."</p><p>He tried to play it as casually as possible, giving his usual greeting while keeping his body loose in preparation to dodge any sudden attacks, though with how fast she was it was nigh impossible for him to do so.</p><p>"Shirou, where did you go last night, hmmmmmm?"</p><p>This is bad. That was Shirou's first thought when she saw the shadows hiding her eyes, a red glint the only thing he could see there as the aura became even greater, making him physically take a step backwards.</p><p>"Aaahhh, there were just some robbers at my house, and a fight broke out there between me and the intruders. Luckily, Souichirou-sensei was at my house at the time, and he helped me fight them off, but he was injured during the scuffle Since he felt that it was unsafe to stay there, he offered to let me stay with me at Ryuudou temple."</p><p>This was the excuse he had prepared, and it contained grains of truth as well. It also lined up with Kuzuki resting at the temple too.</p><p>"And what was he doing at your house?"</p><p>"He was… helping me add new components to my exercise routine. I had asked him for some advice earlier, and he came my house to help out by observing my workouts."</p><p>This was believable, because Kuzuki was well-known to be extremely fit, despite nobody having seen him exercise much. During the school sports festival teachers races, he always declined to join because after the first time he participated in the race, the other teachers had complained that he was cheating. Some certain female teachers and students also idolized him and his "chocolate abs", to quote one female student.</p><p>Taiga closed her eyes for a moment.</p><p>Phew, it seems like she's-</p><p>*BAK*</p><p>The wooden blade caught him in his sides, the bamboo sword bending as the strips of bamboo wood creaked, the wind almost visible from the force of the blow.</p><p>"Kagh!"</p><p>He was blown off his feet and lifted into the air, before he fell back down and rolled to the left for a few meters.</p><p>"That's payback for making me worry so much, Shirou. Now get your ass to school before I have to beat it in there."</p><p>Taiga strode into the school with her sword resting on her shoulder, her mouth twisted into a satisfied smirk, while Shirou curled up into a ball on the pavement and grunted in pain, wheezing for breath after the heavy blow dealt to his unprotected right oblique muscles, the shock even traveling to his stomach and making him want to heave his breakfast right on the floor.</p><p>Approaching him, Sakura laid a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>"Senpai, do you need some help to get into school?"</p><p>"Kuhhh, hhaahhh, I-I think I need to, kah, rely on your shoulders, Sakura. Sorrrry, koff, for the bother."</p><p>"Un, it's fine senpai."</p><p>Slowly adjusting him into position with his right arm looped around her shoulders, she lifted him up and supported him through the school gates and into the nurse's office to rest, much like how he had lent his shoulders to Saber last night while they walked up the steps.</p><p>Atop the school roof, a girl in red stood there, stretching out her senses as the jewels in her palm disintegrated from the spell.</p><p>"Erleuchte den Weg zu meinem Schatz, oh leuchtendes Juwel."</p><p>As the jewels disintegrated, two sigils formed in the air from the dust of the jewels rising up, lighting up in red and blue.</p><p>"So there's two Masters at school hmmm…"</p><p>Behind her, Archer looked on as Sakura carried the pained Shirou into school grounds.</p>
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<a name="section0062"><h2>62. Chapter 62</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 62</p><p>His sides still seared with pain, but it wasn't to the point that he couldn't even stand straight as he took small steps into the student council room, careful not to strain bruised muscles around that area. It had been some time since he'd suffered a full power strike from Fuji-nee, and it was clear she still hadn't lost her edge. It almost felt like a giant slab of stone had cut through his stomach, with intense agony erupting the moment he had fallen to the ground.</p><p>"Emiya, does it still hurt?"</p><p>Issei stared at the area where Taiga's shinai had struck him, his eyes looking as if they could pierce through the fabric and assess the injury directly. Shirou touched his sides with his left hand, smiling lightly to avoid making him worry.</p><p>"Nah, it's fine now. The swelling's gone down, and it doesn't hurt to walk anymore."</p><p>Indeed, if it wasn't for Sakura he would have stayed on the ground long after the morning bell had rung.</p><p>*kok, kok*</p><p>They both turned to the door behind them, surprised that someone was visiting the student council at this time of the day. Was it a teacher?</p><p>"Please come in."</p><p>*shhhk*</p><p>The sliding door opened, revealing a girl with long, silky black hair tied up in twintails and stark blue eyes.</p><p>"Tohsaka-san?"</p><p>Instantly, Issei's posture changed as his guard was raised, his chopsticks lifted in front of him like weapons while his eyes narrowed. Shirou on the other hand, was simply confused and stared at her.</p><p>"Tohsaka-san, do you have any urgent business with the student council? If not, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."</p><p>Issei's curt voice cut through the air like a hot knife, clearly unwelcoming of her.</p><p>"What if I said I just came to pay the student council president a visit?"</p><p>Issei stood up and raised his voice slightly.</p><p>"It seems like even honors students can lie as well. Tell me, what is your true objective for coming here?"</p><p>Rin was slightly taken aback when he pressed the attack, but she decided to stop teasing him to prevent the situation from escalating further. Despite the fact that she was a mage and he was only a monk, she didn't want to get into argue with him pointlessly, and it would also reflect on her behaviour if a teacher or student passed by and saw them going at it.</p><p>"I lost a pen around here somewhere and I'm looking for it. I just want to ask if you've seen a red pen around here somewhere? It also has a black cap with light cyan highlights."</p><p>Issei settled down slightly and lowered his chopsticks at her words.</p><p>"No, we haven't seen a pen like that, but we'll keep an eye out for you."</p><p>This time, Shirou answered her. Rin nodded gratefully to him, a slight smile creeping to her lips, glad that she had saved him last night.</p><p>Noticing her smile at him, Shirou scratched the back slightly embarrassed, a hint of red touching his cheeks.</p><p>Looking at the two of them, Issei decided to step in before something dangerous happened to Shirou.</p><p>"Ahem. Do you have any more business here?"</p><p>Rin turned to him and asked one more question.</p><p>"Does anybody else use this room or the rooms nearby besides you two?"</p><p>"Is there any reason why you need to know about that?"</p><p>Rin sighed and shook her head in disappointment.</p><p>"I just want to know who to ask around here about my pen. Or are you refusing to help me, president?"</p><p>"Kgh, n-no. Hold on, let me think."</p><p>Issei crossed his arms and lowered his head in thought.</p><p>"Only Emiya and I use the student council president during the day, while the rest of the student council members come here twice a week for meetings after school. As for the home economics room next door and the empty multi-purpose clubroom, nobody uses the clubroom, while the home economics club only holds activities there after school on Friday, or during specially scheduled events, of which there haven't been any since the 17th of December."</p><p>"Oh, I see. Thanks for the information, I'll be on my way then."</p><p>She turned around and headed out the door, her twintails swinging rhythmically.</p><p>"See you later Tohsaka-san."</p><p>She paused slightly when Shirou said that, but then continued on her way as if nothing happened, shutting the door behind her.</p><p>"Hmph, good riddance. I wonder what she was up to this time."</p><p>The moment she was gone, Issei pushed up his glasses and sat back down, clearly still suspicious of Rin.</p><p>"Come on, she was just looking for a pen right?"</p><p>"Don't be fooled by her appearance Emiya. You have no idea what she'll do to you if you fall into her clutches."</p><p>They continued with lunch as Rin left to check the next few spots.</p><p>"Archer, do you think that either of them was a Master?"</p><p>It was a moment before she received a reply to her mental question.</p><p>"I doubt it was the Emiya boy, he looked too idiotic to be one. But the Issei boy seemed quite suspicious of you. His hostility seemed to suggest that he knows something about you as well."</p><p>"I agree that Emiya probably isn't the Master, with how he acts at school. He's just a nice guy who's also slightly dense. As for Issei, I think he's especially sensitive to the Moonlit world. He reacted to remnants of magecraft on a school field trip before when no one else could sense them, and he probably senses instinctively that something's different about me. Still, I suppose it's worth keeping an eye on him."</p><p>The traces of mana in the school had led to the student council president room and the archery dojo, as well as several classrooms. She was currently in the process of checking each of them out and looking for the two potential Masters she'd found earlier. She'd never imagined that there'd be Masters in her own school, but then again the selection of participants open to all as well. All that was required was a strong desire.</p><p>"I suppose we'll have to keep looking then."</p><p>She headed to the archery dojo next, passing by a boy with curly blue hair.</p>
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<a name="section0063"><h2>63. Chapter 63</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 63</p><p>Shinji barely gave her a glance as she breezed past him, when before he would have immediately tried to strike up her conversation if she so much as looked at him from the opposite end of a corridor. Right now though, he was just keeping an eye on her. Attracting her attention would just make his job that much more difficult.</p><p>She walked past him without a second glance, not even registering who she had just passed. Well, he hadn't bothered for a week, so it was natural that she'd forget about him, since she only treated him as a pest anyways in the first place. He continued walking until he reached the stairs at the opposite end of the corridor and stopped at the stairwell.</p><p>"Rider? It seems like Archer and Tohsaka are heading to check the dojo."</p><p>He had to speak out loud, since even though he had the Book of False Attendant, he didn't possess the mental link that allowed a true Master to mentally communicate with their Servant.</p><p>Rider didn't acknowledge his words, but he knew she had heard him. If she left her spirit form and materialized, Rin and any other mages worth their salt within 5 miles of the school would know there was a Servant there.</p><p>With his task done, he left to continue doing the exercises Rider had taught (forced) him to do.</p><p>"She went to the student council room and talked with Ryuudou-san and Emiya-san, and now she's heading to the dojo where you're at now."</p><p>She frowned lightly as she knelt on the polished wooden floor of the dojo, watching her clubmates go through each step of kyudo.</p><p>"Is there something wrong, Matou-san?"</p><p>"Ah, nothing's wrong, Mitsuzuri-senpai."</p><p>She reversed her frown into a slight smile after she was questioned by Ayako, who noticed her sudden change in expression. It looked like she'd have to be more careful in the future, since the captain of the archery club could be quite perceptive at times.</p><p>Ayako stared at her for a moment longer, before she nodded and turned back to observing the form of the club members currently shooting on the range.</p><p>Internally, Sakura writhed in discomfort at the thought of her sister confronting her beloved senpai.</p><p>"Is she suspecting him? Does she know he's a mage? Is she going to attack him if she finds out he's a Master?"</p><p>All these questions cropped up in her head, her heart rate speeding up as her imagination grew wilder and wilder over what her sister would do to her senpai.</p><p>"Mitsuzuri-san?"</p><p>The wooden doors were already open when Rin arrived, so she just called out to the archery club captain.</p><p>"Tohsaka? You've finally decided to come to watch us practice?"</p><p>"Un, well I had some free time, so I decided to take you up on your all, it's not every day that I get to see the famed award-winning archery club practicing."</p><p>Rin smiled as she offhandedly praised the archery club.</p><p>"Hoh? It's rare of you to suddenly act on a whim like that. Maa, I guess it doesn't matter what your reasons are though. You're welcome to watch as much as you want."</p><p>She turned to look at the club members currently on the range.</p><p>"Though it's not really an award winning club any more. That was only back when Emiya-kun was here." Her eyes wandered off as she thought of the past, when the red-haired boy would strike the center of the target each time with unerring accuracy, his breath and muscles flowing naturally with no interruptions. That perfect form was something that all of the club members who had seen him in action strived to emulate, but were still unable to reach to this day. The one time his aim was off, he had told her that even before he released the arrow, he knew it was going to miss.</p><p>Rin watched her far-off expression from the side, then smirked.</p><p>"Could it be...your target is Emiya-kun?"</p><p>She covered a smirk with her hand, but Ayako refused to fall to the bait, simply closing her eyes and wearing a small smile on her lips.</p><p>"I don't think he's a bad person to date, but he's really more of someone that I admire and try to surpass. In a sense, I suppose you could call him a rival of sorts."</p><p>Rin looked at her face, before deciding she was serious, and sighed.</p><p>"So that's how it is. Still, you'll have to work hard before you beat me in our competition, you know?"</p><p>At that, Ayako reddened slightly.</p><p>"It's not like you're any closer to the finishing line either."</p><p>"True, but between us, it's obvious who would get there faster."</p><p>Rin taunted Ayako as the two of them argued while the club members ignored their banter, with Sakura going through the motions of practicing as well.</p><p>By the time practice was over, the sun was starting to touch the horizon, the ray of light turning to a mild orange hue that softly illuminated the surroundings.</p><p>"It was fun watching the kyudo club practicing. Maybe I'll come back another time to spectate again."</p><p>"Sure, we're open to whoever wants to watch us practice. See later then, Tohsaka."</p><p>Ayako left the dojo and went out the school gates, along with the rest of the club members and the other teachers and students that were leaving at the same time as well. Not long after, the bell rang, and the school gates were shut.</p><p>Going around to the back, Rin made sure there was no one else looking, asking Archer to keep watch as she activated the jewel she had planted near the dojo before entering it. She had waited the entire time for a full analysis, as the spell she had used was quite thorough and hard to detect, but in exchange it worked very slowly.</p><p>"Verraten."</p><p>The oval sapphire glimmered in the darkness, before cracks appeared in its body, and then it shattered, releasing a fine mist of sparkling dust. Rin lowered her hands, and went into the dojo to take a look at the results of the analysis. The way it worked was that the jewel would fill the entire building with Rin's magical energy, which would then react with foreign magical signatures and produce identifiable readings. It was close to Reinforcing, but used along the lines of Structural Analysis, and the amount of energy poured into the building was minuscule, to make it harder to detect. There was just enough to produce a reaction.</p><p>The wooden doors creaked open, revealing several dark spots on the ground that glowed a dull purple, mixed with a void black that seemed to swallow the light. Walking closer to them, Rin noticed that a peculiar smell seemed to be floating off these dark patches. Bending closer, she took a sniff.</p><p>"Kah, what is this?"</p><p>She almost retched, but managed to catch herself. The stench was horrendous, a mix of excrement, damp soil and insect entrails, along with an unidentifiable smell that seemed to be mud, mud mixed with some of the most poisonous plants in the world to produce a sickly sweet smell that cloyed and clumped in her nose.</p><p>"Who could produce such a signature…"</p><p>In truth, she didn't want to recognize it, but there was only one person who could fit this smell. Just to be sure, she held a hand over the patches and stimulated them with her mana.</p><p>The mana flowed into the patches without any resistance, and she felt a slight tug like the foreign mana was trying to suck out her magical energy. She stopped as soon as she felt the tug, the glow in her hands dying down.</p><p>"It can't be, she's the Master?"</p><p>*BOOOM*</p><p>Before she could even register what was going on, Archer grabbed her and dashed into the open air archery range as a bullet cracked through the air and passed through where her head was a moment ago, breaking a hole in the opposite wall and continuing through. Putting down his Master, Archer traced his two swords and prepared for combat.</p><p>*Clak, clak*</p><p>Through the wooden doors, a woman wearing a maid outfit came walking through, her left hand carrying a scoped Desert Eagle handgun, her right hand clutching a red handled mop.</p><p>"Who are you?"</p><p>Rin asked the Servant who had just attacked them. Two yellow eyes glinted in the darkness, her pale skin reflecting the last rays of sunlight as it dipped below the horizon to plunge the city into night.</p><p>"My identity should be obvious. I am a maid."</p><p>Archer's grip on his blades tightened as she stepped into the moonlight, her face readily recognizable to him. Why in the name of Alaya had he never seen her wearing a maid uniform until now. Also, why was she a maid. These questions ran through his mind as he silently screamed with joy, searing the sight deeply into his memory. With difficulty, he managed to stifle his emotions in order to focus on the imminent threat she posed to Rin.</p><p>"Master, stand back, this will be a tough battle."</p><p>Seeing Archer speak with such a serious tone, she retreated at once, hopping out of the range with reinforced legs as Rider approached Archer.</p>
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<a name="section0064"><h2>64. Chapter 64</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 64</p><p>Archer held his stance as Rider stepped towards him, advancing forward like she had all the time in the world.</p><p>*BOOM*</p><p>Without warning, her hand jerked upwards and fired at Archer, three bullets flying from the muzzle of the Desert Eagle in quick succession, heading for his head, left leg and right lung respectively.</p><p>Archer's reinforced eyes were just enough to catch the path of the bullets even with the lack of pre-movements by Rider, the pure white blade of Bakuya sparking as the bullet scraped past it, barely deflecting the bullet from his right lung, while the black metal of Kanshou blocked the projectile to his head directly, the momentum of the bullet pushing his arm even with the muscles fully tensed until the metal smacked on his forehead with no small force. His left leg just barely shifted aside as the bullet only took a small chunk of his calf from the sides instead crashing straight through his leg and shattering the bone.</p><p>Before the bullet blocked by Kanshou even dropped halfway to the ground, Rider was already in front of him and driving the black tip of the mop into his solar plexus, too close for him to block or dodge. Reacting as quickly as he could, he reinforced his stomach even as he swung down Bakuya in an attempt to cut the mop in half with the black sword.</p><p>*THOOM*</p><p>He was blown away before the blade's edge could touch the mop, the blow sending his entire body flying over the walls of the open air range and above the targets. Performing several somersaults in mid-air, he managed to gauge the right moment to land on his feet, skidding on the dirt for a few meters before he stopped.</p><p>Jumping out of the range lightly, Rider landed opposite Archer, watching him coldly as he coughed up blood from the blow to his stomach. Even with the reinforcement to his body in that area, it was still impossible to completely avoid injury from a full-powered blow to his torso head on.</p><p>"It seems that you really are an Archer, and an arrogant one at that, to be putting on airs of being capable at close combat while holding those two swords. Rather than that, you might survive longer if you stick to long range combat."</p><p>Archer smirked even while blood trickled down the corner of his mouth and dripped on the ground, straightening his back while ignoring the pain radiating from the blow to his stomach.</p><p>"Is that what you think? I'll show you that these two swords aren't just for show then."</p><p>Earlier, he had been caught by surprise from Rider's sudden attack, but after taking a hit from her, he had successfully gauged how strong her physical parameters were. It seemed that while she was fast and strong, as the blow to his stomach proved, she wasn't so strong as to kill him with one direct hit, nor was she so fast that he couldn't even reinforce the area before her mop landed. In short, it was something he could probably handle.</p><p>*BANG, BANGBANG*</p><p>This time, she dashed forward while firing shots from her handgun, the shots resounding like thunder in their quiet surroundings. The bullets made their way to Archer in the blink of an eye, their paths designed to cut off Archer's routes of escape like a cage, but it was all for naught.</p><p>He had walked across countless battlefields during his time alive, and after he died he had walked across even more until the battlefield became the only place he could recognize as he killed and shed blood in the name of "justice". In all these experiences he had accumulated, he had frequently met enemies wielding firearms, and after perhaps 50 conflicts involving them, he had devised sufficient counter measures to deal with even the most skilled sharpshooters and gunslingers he met. This was his ability, Mind's Eye (True), the grasping of the logic of battle through countless years of experience, learning and training.</p><p>More swords appeared out of thin air as they blocked the bullets as a wall of steel in front of Archer, the bullets flattened when they impacted against the thick steel, though the force of the bullets did make the thick swords embedded in the ground tremble. Without pausing in her dash, Rider jumped upwards and aimed her Desert Eagle downwards at Archer.</p><p>She was met with the sight of six fully nocked arrows on the massive black bow that he used, the tips glowing red as they became infused with mana.</p><p>*Schwip*</p><p>The arrows cut through the air as they were released, the wind whistling past the shaft as they left a red trail of mana in the air that glistened slightly in the night. Twisting her body, Rider grasped the end of the red mop firmly with both hands, and swung.</p><p>"CLEAN!"</p><p>A burst of water streamed out of the gray fiber of the mop end as it went from left to right, the water turning into a wall of liquid that smashed into the arrows streaking in towards her. In a flash, they were swallowed up by the clear water, and then detonated before they reached Rider. As expected of a top-class maid, to be capable of cleaning up dangerous objects while mid-air.</p><p>The water evaporated as the arrows detonated, Rider plunging through the steam to meet Emiya as he jumped at her with swords in hand, the black and white metal of both blades clashing with the shaft of the mop as Rider blocked his strikes while handling the mop like a staff, twirling it in her hands to deflect and parry, then using the openings in his style to pierce through with the mop like a spear, the blunt end of the mop blurring as it shot through to aim at the joints and sensitive spots of his body. Yet, his blades were always there to intercept and counter her by attacking even faster than her, his sword almost at her neck, hand or torso whenever she fell for the false openings he showed her.</p><p>Unable to get the upper hand over each other, sparks flew as their weapons clashed against each other, blows exchanged at an inhumanly fast rate, the projection of twin swords crafted by the blacksmith to reach the realm of the gods, and the Mop of Selection that was reputed to be the weapon of the true maid that would bring cleanliness to Britain, both vying for dominance in mortal combat between the two Servants.</p><p>The scope of the handgun crashed against Kanshou as Archer pushed the barrel astray, the bullet fired from it barely missing as the wind from the bullet grazed Archer's cheek, a small cut forming along the bullet's path. The mop stabbed downwards to his foot, but instead he dodged it and lashed out his right leg in a kick towards Rider's left knee, the steel toed boots descending on the black tights hiding her pale skin.</p><p>*BANG*</p><p>The recoil of the gun drove her elbow sideways as she leaned her entire body, the momentum of her movements allowing her to lift her left leg lift into the air until it was like she was doing a standing split, then she cartwheeled to avoid the two blades slicing through the air at her legs. The black maid skit with a lace white apron front flipped up to reveal the mature black bikini bottom she wore, but Archer was unfortunately too preoccupied at the moment to register the fact in his mind.</p><p>While she cartwheeled out of his reach and then some more to create distance, he dematerialized his blades and reached into the repository of weapons in his mind, bringing forward the hunting sword that would track down its prey to the ends of the world.</p><p>"I am the bone of my sword."</p><p>The sword manifested in his hands, his hand opening to receive the traced sword, a pitch black weapon with metal edges curling slightly outward around a thin core ending in a conical point, the semicircle pommel the only thing truly preserved in the altered weapon. Aiming at Rider, who had just come to a stop and was currently in the middle of doing something to her black handgun, he took aim and pulled back until the bowstring was past his cheek, then synced his breath with his entire body, the bowstring like his body, drawn and taut.</p><p>"Hah."</p><p>The fingers holding the string released, the arrow enveloped in red light as it quickly reached immense speeds as it accelerated to its max speed of Mach 10. Even if it missed, Hrunting, Hound of the Red Plains, would provide him with enough time to trace the next few swords that he needed to use by hounding her constantly.</p><p>*sh-BOOOOM*</p><p>Just as Hrunting got within a meter of Rider, a blast of pure water consumed it and utterly destroyed the traced Noble Phantasm, the stream of raging liquid continuing forward like a laser beam. The water was even faster than the bullets from the gun Secace, white light and seeming to envelop the edges of the circular tunnel of water that reached Archer even as he rotated his body and leaned backwards to dodge the stream of water as much as he could.</p><p>A hole appeared in his left arm, cutting cleanly through his biceps and barely passing by the bone, the scenery behind him clearly visible through the perforation.</p><p>At the very last second, Rider had managed to combine Secace and Morgan into the sniper rifle that was now resting on her shoulder, the red circles from the corrupted sword glowing along its side as she peered through the scope at Archer. Archer, unable to expect something like a sniper rifle to suddenly appear in her hands, was caught off guard and injured.</p><p>"Kh…"</p><p>Archer clutched his now useless left arm as he glared at Rider, who calmly centered the aim of her newly manifested sniper rifle on his chest.</p><p>"It seems you were not even worthy of getting through the first stages of the War, Archer."</p><p>With those parting words, she pressed the trigger.</p>
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<a name="section0065"><h2>65. Chapter 65</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 65</p><p>"Veröffentlichung!"</p><p>The multicolored gems scattered into the skies, five rainbows of light cutting through the darkness of the night as the gems cracked and released the magical energy stored in them, solid shapes refracting the light expanding until a dome of cracked opaque stone surrounded Rider, starting out at the size of a van, before quickly expanding once, twice and thrice in short bursts until it was the size of a double decker bus. In moments, she was sealed away, unable to fire the shot to end Archer's life.</p><p>Gritting his teeth, Archer traced his bow and quickly traced the arrow that he favoured for pure destruction, the spiralling arrow in his hand even as he placed the black bow parallel on the ground.</p><p>"I am the bone of my sword."</p><p>Cracks spiralled across the shining surface of the sword/arrow as it was nocked onto the bow string, then his steel toed boots planted themselves firmly on the center of the black bow, right on the grip. Lying with his back on the ground, his left arm bleeding profusely and dangling limply next to him, he curled forward and opened his mouth to bite the string with his teeth and gritted hard as his face contorted into a grim scowl, lines appearing on his face as he pulled with as much strength as he could muster. His hunched back slowly straightened as he used his entire spine and core muscles to pupil the string while bracing his legs against the bow, his bent knees moving to help pull the bow string as well. While this method was wildly inaccurate when compared to using both hands to aim, it allowed him to pull the bow string incredibly far backwards by fully extending his body and legs straight, the bow string able to be extended that far due to the materials it was constructed with.</p><p>Considering that Rider was trapped under the jewels released by Rin, he didn't have to make it accurate, just fast enough so that it could penetrate and release the blast directly under the dome.</p><p>Then the dome shattered.</p><p>The sparkling remnants of the prison scattered around Rider as her amber eyes locked onto Rin's shocked face, barely twenty meters away from where she was standing.</p><p>"How could she-?"</p><p>Disbelief flashed across Rin's mind, unable to accept the fact that the five jewels packing energy she had saved over ten years had been broken in moments. In the other timelines, she had even been able to use five of them to take one of Heracles' lives. But here, Rider had a Magic Resistance of B rank. As such, the jewels were only able to bound her for a short amount of time, before she broke free once more.</p><p>*DOOM*</p><p>Archer instantly released the arrow as soon as he saw the cracks spiralling across the dome the millisecond before it shattered, aiming in such a way that even with his awkward method of shooting that he rarely ever performed unless one or both of his arms were crippled, it still wouldn't miss.</p><p>The arrow dug through the earth like an actual drill, the spatial distortion digging straight through the brown dirt until it impacted with the concrete used to form the base of the school's foundations, a measure used to flatten the land and give it even ground to construct the buildings. All the pent up energy exploded when it met the hard material, Caladblog living up to its legend of being a sword that cut off hilltops with one swing. Rider sensed the ground rumbling under her feet, and jumped.</p><p>The ground exploded beneath her, clods of dirt flying high into the sky as grey bits of concrete and a concussive wave of air rose to meet her. The blast also blew Rin backwards, even with her distance from it and the fact that it was detonated underground. That was just how powerful the broken Phantasm was. However, distance was created between Rider and Rin, and Rin was able to reinforce her body just in time to make a rough, but safe landing as she tumbled into a roll and came to a stop.</p><p>Archer dematerialized his bow and tucked his body into a ball, positioning his feet on the dusty ground, then exploded into motion as his legs fully straightened, pushing him forwards like a rocket as he got between Rider and Rin. One leg reached out and slammed into the dirt , digging deeply until he was more than ankle deep into the ground, but he managed to stop his momentum, his mostly uninjured right arm projecting Bakuya while the left hung next to his sides, the hole slowly knitting together under the influence of the mana flowing from Rin.</p><p>Rider landed on far away from the giant crater in the school grounds, her maid skirt now torn and ripped, her black jacket missing most of the bottom half as one of the sleeves tore loose and slipped to her wrist. However, she had only sustained several small bruises and cuts from the debris, the blast mostly leaving her unharmed as she had managed to dodge just in time before the kinetic force reached her.</p><p>"Having a Master who supports you directly like this is quite commendable."</p><p>Rider's voice cut through the haze left by Caladbolgs explosion to reach them.</p><p>"And what about yours? It seems that whoever it may be, they're too much of a coward to stand on the battlefield and show themselves."</p><p>Archer smirked and taunted her, hoping to get a reaction, a weakness that he could exploit. Things were starting to look bad with his left arm out of commission. Even if it healed on the surface, his ability was still lowered. Also, her ripped outfit was quite easy on the eyes. Several more pictures were added to his mental library.</p><p>"Unfortunately, my Master is too weak to support me in any way. Rest assured though, I am currently training him so that he may reach the point where he will at least be able to stand behind me in battle."</p><p>Rin's eyebrows furrowed. She was training him to fight? Did that mean that her Master wasn't a magus in the first place?</p><p>"Let our swords speak for us now. Wasting time is not a trait a maid should have."</p><p>She leaned forward and prepared to charge forward, her grip around Secace and Morgan tightening.</p><p>"Good evening, onee-chan~"</p><p>Rin flipped her gaze to the left as she looked up at the roof of the building, the moon silhouetting the young girl curtsying towards the three on the ground. Besides her, a girl in a dark cloak stood there, amber eyes just like Rider's gazing down at them.</p><p>"My name is Illya von Einzbern, nice to meet you."</p>
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<a name="section0066"><h2>66. Chapter 66</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 66</p><p>Emiya returned to Mount Enzou after repairing the remaining appliances he had left at the school yesterday. He had also wandered around the school a bit before leaving, looking for remnants of the battle yesterday that might need to be repaired, but it was all gone. After Rin had formed her alliance with Assassin, she had returned back to the school and fixed the more obvious places, such as all the windows and craters in the ground, before she contacted Kirei and left the rest to him. As a result, the school looked perfectly normal, like it had always been.</p><p>The temple was silent, with the majority of the monks at the temple sitting in the main hall practicing meditation, rows of men sitting on mats breathing evenly, their backs straight while their left leg was folded over the right thigh, the right foot tucked underneath. Their knees rested on the floor, and their hands laced together in a circle right above their crotch. Candles flickered, the shadows cast by the monks moving incessantly, but their bodies never wavered.</p><p>Caster knelt next to Kuzuki, the towel in her hands a bright red as she soaked up the blood on the ground, wiping away the red liquid that had spilled on the ground through the bandages and gauze she had wrapped around his arm. The formerly white cloth was now almost completely crimson, most of it a dark red. Another towel lay beside her, wet but unstained by blood, having been used to clean his body of sweat. He was currently still resting, the scabbard still working to restore his arm. It seemed to be almost reattached, as the flow of blood had stopped, but she could still hear very small scraping noises coming from the wound that she assumed was the bone reconnecting. She estimated the process would be done by tonight, judging from the fact that the skin was fully attached, and the bone was undergoing recovery.</p><p>As for Saber, she was still resting in her room with Shirou, the wounds almost healed. However, Caster could tell that the amount of mana was causing her lethargy, and that in order to make her move for longer amounts of time, she would need to solve the mana deprivation problem. She had managed to wake up twice while Shirou was at school, but after Caster had managed to reassure her that Shirou didn't need her to be constantly be at his side since it was daytime, and that he could summon her with Command Seals if he was truly in danger, she had fallen asleep again. She would probably have to link the leylines to Saber through Shirou, in order to help Saber reach peak condition.</p><p>*kok-kok*</p><p>Caster turned to the shoji doors at the sound of someone knocking on the wooden frame.</p><p>"Can I come in?"</p><p>Caster stared at Kuzuki for a moment, then pulled a blanket over his body while adjusting his arm into a more comfortable position.</p><p>"I'll come out."</p><p>She got up and bunched the dirty towels together into her hands, then opened the door and left the room.</p><p>"Excuse me."</p><p>Shirou only caught a glimpse of Kuzuki lying in the futon, his face looking somewhat different from usual as he rested, his consciousness in another realm, before Caster closed the door.</p><p>Caster beckoned Shirou to follow her, and so he went with her to the laundry room.</p><p>They walked in silence for a while, before Shirou asked her.</p><p>"Is he fine?"</p><p>Caster tilted her head a bit while walking, considering the question.</p><p>"He should be in perfect condition by tonight. You should be more worried about your own Servant though."</p><p>"Well, he is my teacher, so I can't help but be a little worried about him." he scratched the back of his head as he said so.</p><p>Caster paused her steps, then continued walking. A slight smile graced her face as she responded to him, though he couldn't see it from behind her.</p><p>"That's not what I meant by that. Your Servant has a more serious problem than my Master. She doesn't have sufficient mana from you to fight properly."</p><p>Shirou ducked his head at that.</p><p>"Ah, I know I'm not much of a magus, so I can't really supply her with much energy at all. After all, I have to make a new Circuit every time I try to perform magecraft, so-"</p><p>Caster whirled around to face him and marched right up to his face. The towels dropped to the floor as she gazed up at him intensely. Shirou backed up slightly in surprise, but she grabbed the front of his uniform to keep him in place.</p><p>"What did you just say?"</p><p>"I-I, I'm not much of a magus?"</p><p>"And after that?"</p><p>"I have to make a new Circuit every time I perform magecraft."</p><p>Caster glared at him for a few more seconds, before she released his uniform and sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head.</p><p>"Let me get these towels washed first, then we'll go to an empty room for you to demonstrate how you perform magecraft."</p><p>The next thing he knew, he was kneeling in a spare room with a cup in front of him, with Caster sitting in behind him and placing her hands on his bare back, his uniform top and jacket lying next to him in a pile.</p><p>"Please show me how you usually do it."</p><p>He emptied his mind, stretching out and regulating his breaths. Everything outside his body faded away, all of his concentration focused inward.</p><p>"――――Trace, on."</p><p>The phrase was spoken, a mental trigger for self-hypnosis, a crucial factor in almost every form of magecraft. No matter how skilled the mage was, they needed to believe that they were able to accomplish the magecraft they were about to perform, and the words of the spell served as something to ignite that self-belief, a phrase that they would become accustomed to.</p><p>It was even more true for Shirou. He had no Magic Crest and no knowledge of magic, so a spell was only a change to himself. In a normal human, there were no "lines" in their bodies to allow the passage of magical energy. So in order to create the path in his body artificially to perform magecraft, he believed that he had to unify his entire being and every nerve lining the flesh within his body.</p><p>For him, magecraft was a battle with himself.</p><p>At this very moment, he was inserting a burning steel rod into his backbone. The metal rod was the only "Magic Circuit" he could prepare for himself. When he inserted it deep into his body and connected it to his nerve system, he became a magus. It may have sounded like an analogy, but in reality something like a molten crowbar which couldn't be sensed was being inserted into his spine.</p><p>When Shirou was saved, Emiya Kiritsugu said to him in the hospital.</p><p>"I am a sorcerer."</p><p>He was a living magus who performed many marvels, and had touched the very fabric of the world. Shirou in his childhood admired him, and begged Kiritsugu to teach him magecraft.</p><p>But pure effort just wasn't enough to become a magus. Talent, and the appropriate knowledge was also needed.</p><p>Of course, Shirou didn't have a drop of talent, or so he thought, and Kiritsugu taught him nothing about magic. When questioned, he simply told the young Shirou.</p><p>"You have no need for such knowledge."</p><p>Even now, Emiya still didn't understand those words. But it didn't matter to the young him back then. He thought that if he could use magic, he could be like Kiritsugu.</p><p>However, no matter how much he wanted to learn, he lacked the raw talent. He had no Magic Circuits, no Magic Crests indispensable to all magus families, the crystallization of the results from generations of effort and preservation.</p><p>The work of magic Kiritsugu possessed, the Magic Crest passed down in the Emiya family, could only be passed on to a blood relation, and it would be rejected by those who didn't possess these qualifications. As a result, Shirou was unable to receive it, being an adopted son.</p><p>So in the end, it all came down to the training that he could do. If he wanted to be a magus, he had to learn magecraft that was compatible with his nature.</p><p>Since he was raised in a normal family, he didn't have many Magic Circuits.</p><p>So that left only one method open to him. According to Kiritsugu, there was a certain form of magic that was a perfect fit for each individual person that practiced magecraft. It involved drawing out energy to perform magecraft related to their "origin", but Shirou didn't really understand his explanation at the time.</p><p>All he knew was that if there was the possibility that some type of magecraft existed that he could use proficiently, he would train in it and become like Kiritsugu. And so eight years ago, Kiritsugu finally became his mentor after giving it a great deal of consideration.</p><p>"Listen, Shirou. To learn magic is to stray away from common sense. You die when you die, and you kill when you must. Our essence is not in life but in death. Magic is only a way to destroy yourself-"</p><p>But Shirou was already one brave bastard even as a kid. The speech didn't affect him in the slightest.</p><p>Kiritsugu smiled bitterly, putting his hand on the nodding Emiya Shirou.</p><p>"What I will teach you will bring you conflicts. That is why you must not use it in front of people, and you must not cease your practice even though it is difficult to learn. Well, I don't really care if you break that one. The most important thing is that magic is something you use not for yourself, but for others. If you do that, you may become a magic user, but you will not become a magus."</p><p>It was obvious to Shirou that Kiritsugu didn't want him to become a magus. Nevertheless, he wanted to be like Kiritsugu, so he put those concerns to the side. If he could be like Kiritsugu on that fiery day, he would-</p><p>"!"</p><p>He needed to discard these thoughts. The iron rod slid into place, his body burning up like it was on fire.</p><p>"Uh, gah...!"</p><p>It would be a fatal mistake if he lost control of his breathing right now. The artificial Magic Circuit he was creating could easily devour his body and destroy it. When that happened, he'd die. To fail like that would be the mark of an amateur for him.</p><p>Grinding his teeth, he focused on the connection again as sweat poured off his body like rain drops.</p><p>After a battle like walking on needles, the iron rod finally arrived deep within him and fused with his body.</p><p>In the end, it took him an hour. After that much time, he was finally able to create a single artificial Magic Circuit for producing power.</p><p>"Basic structure, analyze."</p><p>After that, it becomes a process of naturally flowing magical energy. He was no magus. He was only a spellcaster, who could create magical energy within his body and channel it into objects. So there was only one type of magecraft available to him.</p><p>Which was...</p><p>"Composition, analyze."</p><p>Strengthening objects. A magecraft of "strengthening" that reinforced the object's abilities by understanding the object's structure and channeling magical energy into it.</p><p>"Basic structure, alter."</p><p>There was a porcelain cup in front of him. He would channel magical energy into it, performing the simplest magic, and reinforce its durability. That was all.</p><p>But, channeling magical energy into something other than the caster him/herself was basically like pouring poison into that object. Just like how the blood of Emiya Shirou wasn't not the ceramic of the porcelain cup. Pumping different materials into the object only accelerated its breakdown, it certainly wouldn't strengthen it.</p><p>To prevent that and turn the poison into a booster, one must completely understand the structure of the target and channel the magical energy into small, open spaces.</p><p>"Composition, reinforce."</p><p>For Shirou, who couldn't even create the energy to analyze an object without spending an hour to make an artificial Magic Circuit, it was as difficult as hitting a target from hundreds of meters away. The usual target in kyudo was exactly 27 meters away. How much harder it was at many times that distance, went without saying.</p><p>"Guh!"</p><p>The heat in his body quickly escapes. The burning pillar in his backbone disappeared, the lungs stretched to the limit as they demanded air. His entire stomach had collapsed inward, his breath having left him while he focused.</p><p>"Haa, haa, haa, haaaaa..!"</p><p>He arched his back to hold back the dizziness that was pushing him to the point of fainting.</p><p>"Ah...dammit. I failed again..."</p><p>There was no change in the cup. It seemed like the magical energy poured into it had evaporated into thin air.</p><p>"It's hard to improve something that already has form."</p><p>Caster responded to his frustration. It was like adding something to an already complete work of art.</p><p>Adding to a complete object risked making it less perfect, and it would actually decrease the value. That was why the magic of "strengthening" was so simple and yet so difficult, with only a few magi using it willingly. Shirou didn't use it willingly either, but it was the only thing I'm good at, so it couldn't be helped.</p><p>"Ah-"</p><p>He wiped the sweat off his brow.</p><p>Now that he thought about it, he realized his whole body was covered in sweat like he had just been drenched with a bucket of water.</p><p>But it was lucky that it just ended like this.</p><p>If he'd taken a second longer to recover himself, he would probably have destroyed most of his body.</p><p>"If I improved every time I came closer to death, there might be some hope."</p><p>That was what he used to think, but wasn't that easy. You wouldn't improve if you were afraid of dying, because as long as you studied magecraft, death was beside you. A simple mistake could easily reap one's life.</p><p>"The first step of a magus is to accept death."</p><p>Kiritsugu said so sadly. Perhaps there was a reason for that. Even so, that was only the first step. To truly improve, one had to-</p><p>"By the way, you've been doing it wrong from the start. Who taught you magecraft?"</p><p>Eh?</p><p>Caster met his blank stare with her own confused eyes.</p><p>"To start with, you already have Magic Circuits, so there's no need for you to artificially convert your nerves into one."</p><p>Shirou blinked, then lowered his head, his fatigue catching up to him as his body sank to the ground.</p><p>"Jii-san(old man)…"</p><p>*Brng*</p><p>What sounded like a clear bell being rung resonated in the room, causing both Shirou and Caster to snap alert.</p><p>"There's intruders!"</p><p>Caster stood up and bolted out of the room, Shirou following closely behind her.</p><p>(Some parts of this chapter were taken directly from the VN script, all credit goes to TYPE-MOON and Kinoko Nasu)</p>
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<a name="section0067"><h2>67. Chapter 67</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 67</p><p>By the time they reached the temple gates, there were already no signs of the intruder. However, Saber was already there, dressed in her armor and holding the invisible sword in her hands, looking down the stairs vigilantly.</p><p>"Saber, did you see anyone?"</p><p>Saber shook her head while keeping her eyes locked on the dark steps below them.</p><p>"When I woke up and headed here, it seems that they sensed my presence going towards them and swiftly departed."</p><p>Shirou took in her words, then started going down the stairs, two steps at a time</p><p>"What do you think you're doing?"</p><p>Caster grabbed the back of his uniform jacket before he could move further and stopped him in his tracks, her small, dainty hands carrying enough force to haul him backwards.</p><p>"Shouldn't we give chase? Saber has woken up after all, so it should be fine if I go after them with her."</p><p>Kiritsugu had told him about the values of mages and how they acted, so he was anxious to find out if any of their opponents in the war was willing to resort to any measures to win. For example, he knew that magi could use humans as mana batteries to provide more energy for themselves, or in this case their Servants. If there was, he would have to put a stop to it, no matter how difficult it would be.</p><p>Looking at Saber, she seemed to be fine, but Caster knew that with the amount of mana Shirou was giving her, she would be hard pressed against any opponent. It was possible for even Kuzuki to defeat her if she Reinforced him, with the state she was in.</p><p>"No, you won't be able to handle an enemy Servant if they came at you seriously."</p><p>Shirou gritted his teeth in frustration, stepping up to Caster to convince her.</p><p>"We managed to fight off Berserker last night…"</p><p>Caster shook her head.</p><p>"That wasn't her fighting seriously, judging from what you and the Master told me. Besides, you couldn't do anything back then. As you are now, you'll barely be able to assist Saber at all."</p><p>Clenching his fists, Shirou found that he had nothing to retort with. If it wasn't for Kuzuki's plan, they wouldn't have been able to escape with their lives. Illya could have attacked him at any time while Saber and Kuzuki were busy with Berserker, yet she didn't. Berserker also hadn't used her Noble Phantasm, whatever it was, so she hadn't fought with everything she had yesterday. He was woefully incompetent as a magus as well, he knew that, and could barely do anything with magecraft. There was no way to convince Caster to let him go right now, because she was right in saying that he'd just die.</p><p>"Then-teach me how to use magecraft!"</p><p>Shirou bowed to Caster at a ninety degree angle, his voice determined. The younger Artoria was slightly taken aback by his sudden actions, but she recovered and placed her hands on her shoulders to straighten him again. Her strength as a Servant was enough to pull him upright again, though he tried to resist in vain.</p><p>"I was planning on doing that anyways, don't worry. After all, I can't have you dying in the middle of battle while making an artificial circuit for absolutely no reason."</p><p>Caster looked at the shining lights of the Fuyuki in the distance.</p><p>"Besides, I don't think the other Servants will do anything drastic this early in the war."</p><p>It was easy to tell what kind of person Shirou was, despite having only known him for a day.</p><p>He nodded in acceptance, then moved his legs one step at a time as he went back up the stairs. Saber, who was watching their exchange from the sides the whole time, simply lowered her sword and followed him back through the temple gate.</p><p>It would probably be for the best if she started training him tonight, since there was no telling when they'd have to fight again. Drafting up a training scheme for him, she failed to notice the golden motes of light drifting around the center of the main courtyard.</p><p>"Caster?"</p><p>Saber's voice reached Caster, making her look up and notice the strange specks of light hanging in the air. Immediately, she accessed the link to the leylines and noticed them fluctuating wildly, the energy surging in response to a ritual being conducted.</p><p>"Emiya-san, Saber, stay back!"</p><p>Summoning her staff and battle dress, she cast her magcraft on both Shirou and Saber, a refreshing feeling like a spring breeze going through them as the enchantments settled into place. She activated the Bounded Field she had set up earlier, causing all the monks to fall under a trance induced by her illusion magecraft to avoid them noticing what was happening in the entrance courtyard.</p><p>Slowly, the winds stirred to life, the air that was formerly still picking up speed until gale winds were whipping around in a vortex around the center of the courtyard. On the ground, a ritual circle of golden light formed, squares laid over each other to form eight pointed stars, the ancient language and symbols of a language long dead appearing in the small circles within and encircling the boundary. The glow went from a weakly flickering lightbulb to a blinding floodlight, the motes of golden lights like fireflies in the air increasing until it was almost a solid pillar, the winds reaching a frenzy around the circle. All Caster, Shirou and Saber could hear at this point was the wind, and the leaves on the trees nearby rustling wildly with it.</p><p>*Shoom!*</p><p>The winds burst outward like they were released to freedom from bound fetters, pushing the trio near the gate backwards, Caster creating a shield before Shirou was blown off his feet. The lights coalesced into one solid body of light as Caster and Saber watched, forming the curves and lines of a female human. In particular, Shirou watched as two long sticks of light formed above what should be the head.</p><p>Then the glow dispelled, revealing the Servant in all her glory.</p><p>"The invincible dealer and owner of Casino Camelot, Artoria Ruler, has manifested."</p>
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<a name="section0068"><h2>68. Chapter 68</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 68</p><p>Skin tight fishnet stockings with transparent blue tights wrapped around her slender legs, a black leather holster with a gun secured inside wrapping around her left upper thigh. Two white high heels raised her height, further enhancing the charming slimness of her legs. A similarly pure white bodysuit with the middle cut open clung to the curvature of her torso up her breasts, her belly button exposed from a thin opening in the middles with golden waves ringing the edges. It ended a golden clasp that connected the two cups that barely covered her bountiful breasts, the top left bare for the world to see. Two white cuffs with golden lining on her wrists provided an air of professionalism, and a small blue tie on the white collar that barely reached the valley below enhanced that image, an intricate golden symbol embossed on the silk. The most eye-catching feature of the outfit however, was the delicate golden crown on her luxurious golden hair, and the white ears attached to them sticking stiffly into the air. Her ahoge hung out just beneath the crown.</p><p>Inscrutable green eyes scanned the trio, her right hand flipping several cards and shuffling them with dexterity as she assessed them.</p><p>"Are you Servants and Master of the Fifth Holy Grail War?"</p><p>Despite the fact that the privileges granted to the Ruler class gave her knowledge about their status and True Names, it would be good if they were willing to verbally confirm it themselves.</p><p>Naturally, in the knowledge given to Caster and Saber about the Holy Grail War, information about the extra Ruler class was there, so they knew it was no use hiding any information from her.</p><p>"I am Emiya Shirou, Master of Saber, and this is Caster, our ally."</p><p>Keep your eyes on her face. Shirou desperately repeated this mantra in his head over and over as he took the initiative and introduced the trio one by one. He couldn't help but marvel at how similar Ruler looked to Saber as well. It was a gradation of Artorias, with the young Caster, a teenage Artoria close to adulthood, and a fully grown Artoria right in front of him.</p><p>"Caster, your Master is nearby as well, isn't that right?"</p><p>Ruler looked in the direction of where Kuzuki was still resting.</p><p>"He's injured and asleep right now, so he can't be here."</p><p>If he was injured, then she supposed she would have to inform Caster in his stead. She had been summoned here for a purpose, and she would fulfill as much as she could.</p><p>"I will be informing the Master's of this war about the new rules of the Holy Grail War as the official overseer summoned by the Greater Grail. Please follow me."</p><p>Saying so, she bent her knees, lowering her height until her entire body was lower than Shirou's stomach, then she leaped.</p><p>The muscles under her blue tights bunched up together, contracting, then they pulled apart, the muscle fibers exploding with tension as Ruler was propelled into the sky, not like a superpowered bunny hop. Cracked tiles were left on the ground where she had taken off, with two small holes from her stilettos of the high heels imprinted on the ground.</p><p>"Let's go, Master."</p><p>Saber wrapped an arm around Shirou and leapt up into the sky with him in a princess carry before he could even protest, soaring in the air after Ruler. Caster watched them go at the gate, her duty to protect her Master preventing her from leaving the mountain. Though if Saber was there to represent their alliance, it should be fine, she thought.</p><p>*BAM*</p><p>Archer went tumbling across the school grounds, his body bouncing across the dirt several times before he rolled to the stop, his left side on fire as he hawked up a wad of phlegm and blood, spit mixed into the slimy mess.</p><p>"Gaa-haahhh..."</p><p>He tried to brace his left arm on the ground, but it only buckled and he felt flat on his face again in his own puddle of blood and spit as the hole that Rider had made there hadn't healed yet. He lay there for a moment, before he used his right arm to push against the ground, his palm sinking into the mud made from his blood as he finally managed to get off the ground. Keeling backwards, he brought his torso upright, settling into a kneeling position on the ground.</p><p>Rin stared at him, her eyes wide while her mouth opened, but no sound came out.</p><p>Berserker stood in front of her, calmly standing there without even having her sword out, her face so blank that it was hard to believe she had just viciously kicked Archer and sent him flying.</p><p>Archer coughed and pushed his body up, forcing himself to stand even though his sides screamed like someone had just placed a grenade there and then detonated with magma. Believe it or not, he had experienced that before, and it had hurt like hell. Moving his lips, he opened his right hand</p><p>"Trace-"</p><p>Golden light expanded in his hands as a new blade formed. The curved sword and white rippling surface became visible, with Archer tensing his legs to jump between his Master and Berserker.</p><p>*DOM*</p><p>"Kua!"</p><p>Spittle flew out of his mouth with blood, the blade leaving his grasp as his fingers loosened from the immense physical force applied to the center of his body. His body of hardened muscles and black bodysuit of exotic materials barely blunted anything, the force of the blow transmitting throughout his entire body, sending a shockwave of air blasting from his back with the sheer, excessive strength Berserker used.</p><p>His ribs cracked as his lungs, heart, diaphragm, liver and spine all violently trembled, some of them almost outright exploding as the fleshy walls of the organs ripped and tore, blood spilling out inside of his body like he had been cut by a thousand blades. Large sections of his lungs ceased to function, the splinters of bone pierced through the organs like shrapnel.</p><p>Hurtling through the air like a cannonball, his body spun and jerked until he slammed through the white concrete wall of the school building and broke through the iron rebar hidden inside, sending plaster and dust flying everywhere. He smashed through a second wall and some glass windows, the transparent shards flying everywhere, before he finally crashed to a stop inside an empty club room. The windows behind him shattered, the wall cracking with lines spider webbing from the point of impact. His head bowed until his chin touched his chest, his legs splayed loosely on the ground, while his left arm was bent at an awkwardly, the elbow almost at a ninety degree right angle behind him with the palm facing the floor. Cuts on his face, arms, legs and body dripped blood, his hair no longer slicked back, but falling down in its natural state. The red shroud was severely torn up, his arms almost bare, and large gashes in his pants revealed the dark skin and wounds on his legs.</p><p>"A-Archer!"</p><p>Rin finally found her voice, rushing towards where Archer had fallen. Rushing towards him, she fished in her pockets for the remaining jewels she had stored as her best weapons.</p><p>*Vuon*</p><p>A circular crimson blade stretching out from a shining yellow hilt stopped Rin in her tracks.</p><p>"It was nice to know you, Tohsaka-oneechan!"</p><p>Illya's beatific smile went unseen by Rin, but her angelic voice reached her as the red blade swung towards her neck.</p><p>*SHOOM*</p><p>The concentrated blast of water drilled through the space Berserker was at a second ago as the Servant of Madness leapt into the air right above the blue beam, dodging it by a hair. When she landed back on the ground away from Rin, a hole could be seen on her dark cloak as it flapped.</p><p>"You are my opponent."</p><p>Rider aimed her scope at Berserker, her finger on the trigger, ready to fire at a moment's notice.</p><p>"Oooh? I thought you would be glad to get rid of the distractions first, but to think you'd be so impatient as to fight us now."</p><p>"Since they cannot fight any more, you are my opponents now."</p><p>Berserker turned to face the maid, lightning crackling in her hands as her lightsaber hummed.</p><p>"Is that what you want? Then, die."</p><p>*BOOM*</p><p>Before either of them could engage, another Servant landed between them.</p><p>"I am Artoria Ruler, the overseer of the Fifth Holy Grail War summoned by the Greater Grail. Heed my words, Masters who possess Command Seals."</p><p>Just outside the school gates, Saber put down Shirou as they watched Ruler.</p><p>On the far side of the school opposite the two, Assassin and Grey finally arrived to support their ally, Rin.</p><p>Watching the battle from afar, Lancer floated in the clouds atop Llamrei, lightning occasionally sparking from his hooves.</p><p>A single thought ran through all of their minds when they saw Ruler.</p><p>"What the ****."</p><p>Archer, on the verge of losing consciousness, smiled wearily.</p><p>"At least I can die with some peace after seeing this."</p><p>"This Holy Grail War has been distorted beyond recognition. To prevent a future catastrophe in the near future from occurring, I have been summoned to watch over the battles fought in the name of the Holy Grail. From this moment onwards, all battles shall be fought at dates and times specified by Ruler. Conflict outside of these specified venues and times shall be treated as an infraction, and all infractions shall be punished harshly. An extra Command Seal will be given to the Master who manages to kill the guilty party."</p><p>Ruler raised a card, bearing a symbol that frequently morphed in shape, from two circles with a line passing through, to three petals, to masses of lines intersecting each other that formed an image vaguely resembling a body. Each Master that saw the symbols recognized them as their own Command Seals.</p><p>"I will also conduct an independent investigation of the Greater Grail. During the course of the Holy Grail War, no Masters and Servants are allowed within the boundaries of Mount Enzo, unless I specify otherwise. If Masters or Servants are caught trespassing within Mount Enzo, it will also be treated as an infraction, and they will be punished in the same way."</p><p>Saber and Shirou exchanged a glance with each other. Did that mean Caster and co would be evicted?</p><p>"Finally, all Masters are obligated to hunt down Avenger. Failure to exterminate the Servant within two weeks will result in the termination of the Holy Grail War."</p><p>All the Masters reacted with varying degrees of shock or confusion, ranging from Illya's clutching her head as unwanted memories flooded into her head, to Shirou furrowing his eyebrows in thought.</p><p>Far off in a lonely chapel, Kirei smiled to himself.</p><p>"Interesting."</p><p>Sitting atop the red bridge of Fuyuki that served as it's signature landmark, Gilgamesh sipped his wine as he watched the proceedings through an ornate mirror.</p><p>"So a false Avenger has appeared, eh."</p><p>He took another sip of the wine and swirled it in the cup, the red liquid sloshing around in circles.</p><p>"No matter. The more mongrels there are, the more entertaining this will be."</p><p>Throwing back his head, he laughed with abandon as the wind tugged at his jackets and hair, the cars passing below him lighting up the road with varying shades of white and yellow.</p><p>Deep, deep within the earth, a Servant emerged from the pool of black sludge.</p><p>The black helm raised its face towards the sky as it roared.</p><p>"AAAARRTTHHHUUURRRRRRR!"</p>
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<a name="section0069"><h2>69. Chapter 69</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 69</p><p>Ruler stood in front of Saber and Shirou at the Ryuudou temple gate.</p><p>"You can stay here until Caster's Master recovers. After that, you will have to leave the temple and go elsewhere."</p><p>While normally Masters would fight until only one was left, to obtain the wish, there were those who would directly interfere with the Greater Grail and "cheat", manipulating the system to obtain the energy stored within to grant their wishes. There were also others who would love to analyse the system in detail and attempt to replicate it, and there was no telling what they'd do to the Greater Grail in the pursuit of knowledge.</p><p>As such, it was a safety precaution to set up a boundary around the Greater Grail. It was simply to ensure that no other Masters could tamper with it during the War, so she could carry out her investigation in peace, and to prevent the system from being tampered with without her knowledge while she was here.</p><p>Saber looked at her Master as he lowered his head in thoughts, stroking his chin as he did so. Relocating elsewhere wouldn't be too difficult, since he and Kuzuki could just go to his house. Explaining to the monks why he was suddenly moving out could be a hassle, but in the end it was probably doable.</p><p>Caster appeared behind them, walking out from the sides of the main building facing the entry courtyard.</p><p>"You're inspecting the Holy Grail for any faults, right?"</p><p>"Yes, that is correct."</p><p>The bunny ears twitched slightly, her right hand flipping a card between her fingers as she replied to Caster.</p><p>"I see. In that case, would you allow us to stay here if we assisted you in your investigation?"</p><p>Their base on Mount Enzou was extremely strong due to the leylines she could tap into running through the temple, but if they had to leave then she would be hard pressed to set up a place with similar defenses. The only place she could detect was somewhere in the far west of the city, but she could already tell someone was using the land there. The presence of multiple Bounded Fields linked to the leylines, complete with intricate defenses against outside interference was enough to tip her off. If she had to guess, it was probably one of the three founding families bases there. Two smaller nexuses of ley lines also existed, but they were similarly occupied, with one at the chapel and one located somewhere in the foreigner's district of Miyama Town.</p><p>"I am a Caster after all, so something like analyzing the system of the Greater Grail would be possible for me."</p><p>Well, she didn't really specialize in that type of magecraft, but she could try.</p><p>Staring at her, the card continued to pass between her fingers, slipping through the gaps between them as Ruler considered her offer.</p><p>"I suppose having the assistance of a Caster class Servant in analyzing the Greater Grail would be invaluable. However, how are you going to guarantee that you won't betray me?"</p><p>She was really just asking for the sake of it. She knew they were all Artorias, and that it was highly unlikely to happen given their personality and beliefs. Still, it wasn't completely impossible, so she had to confirm it. After all, if a gambler incurred a debt, having a guarantor willing to cover for it was invaluable when they couldn't pay for the debt themselves.</p><p>Something to secure her trust...what could she use? Caster thought about it, sifting through the catalysts (swords) in her mind. Marmyadose? Carnwennan? Spumador? No, they were all vital to her combat ability, and more importantly they didn't seem to be enough to guarantee her trust…</p><p>"We can give you Avalon."</p><p>Shirou's reply made Ruler whip her head around so fast the bunny ears bent parallel to the ground before snapping upright again. Her hand stopped flipping the card.</p><p>"Avalon? The scabbard?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Faced with her sharp focus, he couldn't help but feel sweat roll down his back. Her green eyes seemed to penetrate his face, picking apart the details in his brain and reading his heart like an open book.</p><p>After another moment of looking at him, during which his face started to flush from being stared at so intensely, she nodded.</p><p>"Very well then. I will accept this act of cooperation. But in order to show no favouritism, I shall invite another alliance to cooperate in the investigation."</p><p>"That's fine."</p><p>As long as they could retain the advantage of home ground at Mount Enzou, it would be worth it.</p><p>"Very well. I will inform the other candidates for the joint investigation."</p><p>Without further ado, she leapt into the air with the great force, the ground once again cracking under her feet. Her figure as she rose into the sky was truly that of a royal bunny, with her ears fluttering in the wind as her rigid pose cut an elegant figure, the white bodysuit contrasting against the darkness of the night sky.</p><p>"Master, are you sure about this?"</p><p>Caster also looked at him. While Avalon wasn't hers to give, she also wondered if it was fine to give it away just like that.</p><p>"Well, she did say she needed a token of trust, so I thought that Avalon was perfect. It is precious, isn't it?"</p><p>Saber stared at him for a moment longer, before closing her eyes in acceptance.</p><p>"I suppose so."</p><p>High in the air, Ruler went over the information she had been able to obtain up til now.</p><p>Class: Saber</p><p>Master: Emiya Shirou</p><p>True Name: Artoria Pendragon</p><p>Sex: Female</p><p>Height/Weight: 154cm 42kg</p><p>Alignment: Lawful Good</p><p>Strength: B</p><p>Mana: A (B)</p><p>Endurance: B (C)</p><p>Luck: A+ (B)</p><p>Agility: B (C)</p><p>Noble Phantasm: A++ (C)</p><p>Class Abilities:</p><p>Magic Resistance A</p><p>Riding B</p><p>Abilities:</p><p>Charisma B</p><p>Mana Burst A</p><p>Instinct A</p><p>Noble Phantasm:</p><p>Excalibur, Sword of Promised Victory</p><p>Class: Caster</p><p>Master: Souichirou Kuzuki</p><p>True Name: Artoria Pendragon</p><p>Sex: Female</p><p>Height/Weight: 154cm 42kg</p><p>Alignment: Neutral Good</p><p>Strength: B</p><p>Mana: A</p><p>Endurance: D</p><p>Luck: B</p><p>Agility: B</p><p>Noble Phantasm: A++</p><p>Class Abilities:</p><p>Magic Resistance A</p><p>Territory Creation EX</p><p>Independent Magic B</p><p>Abilities:</p><p>Charisma of Hope B</p><p>Protection of Vivian A</p><p>Caliburn: Sword of Selection EX</p><p>Noble Phantasm:</p><p>Around Caliburn: Hope's Radiant Embrace</p><p>The Master of Saber was in an alliance with the Master of Caster, and they were most likely only spellcasters at best. She could feel something off about the Saint Graph of Saber as well, and they had Avalon as well. In addition, Caster had already utilized the leylines of Mount Enzo for her own uses, so she would be a formidable opponent if she had to fight there. It was even more dangerous since Saber was their ally, so she would have to contend with a heavily enchanted Saber, along with a Caster in her own Workshop. The best way to fight them would probably be to separate Saber first, deal with her in a separate location, then defeat with Caster by incapacitating her Master.</p><p>Class: Berserker</p><p>Master: Illyasviel von Einzbern</p><p>True Name: Fallen Knight Sir Pendragon</p><p>Sex: Female</p><p>Height/Weight: 154cm 42kg</p><p>Alignment: Neutral Evil</p><p>Strength: A</p><p>Mana: A+</p><p>Endurance: B</p><p>Luck: C</p><p>Agility: B</p><p>Noble Phantasm: A++</p><p>Class Abilities:</p><p>Mad Enhancement C</p><p>Altreactor A</p><p>Abilities:</p><p>∞ Black Bean Paste EX</p><p>Instinct C</p><p>Sovereign's Invisible Hand C</p><p>Noble Phantasm:</p><p>Cross-Calibur, Black Dragon Twinblade of Victory</p><p>Class: Assassin</p><p>Master: Gray Pendragon</p><p>True Name: A-X</p><p>Sex: Female</p><p>Height/Weight: 154cm 42kg</p><p>Alignment: Chaotic Good</p><p>Strength: B</p><p>Mana: B</p><p>Endurance: C</p><p>Luck: D</p><p>Agility: A+</p><p>Noble Phantasm: A++</p><p>Class Abilities:</p><p>Riding EX</p><p>Cosmo Reactor A</p><p>Presence Concealment EX</p><p>Abilities:</p><p>Fire Support XEX EX</p><p>Star of Saber C++</p><p>Galaxy Meteor Sword XEX A</p><p>Noble Phantasm:</p><p>Secret-Calibur, Sword of Unsigned Victory</p><p>The Master of Berserker was also a credible threat. She could feel how strong Berserker just by being near her, and her privileges as Ruler gave her information regarding her abilities. To say she was a strong Servant was an understatement. Her Master was also a monster of a magus, with massive mana reserves. However, she could also tell that Assassin was likely to be able to kill her with her unique skill set. She had managed to sneak a peek at Assassin before they left for Ryuudou temple, and the Conceptual Weapon she was would prove to be an immense advantage for her in this particular war. She even had an EX rank Presence Concealment, but for some reason it was sealed.</p><p>However, aside from these two strengths, she didn't seem to have much else, so it was likely that Ruler would be able to defeat them with her own Noble Phantasm. She would say the same for Berserker, but with such a monstrous Master supplying her mana, she was more uncertain about her. She was unsure if her Noble Phantasm would be able to defeat her, but there was another way. Luring Berserker into conflict with the other Masters would most likely weaken her enough for Ruler to defeat her.</p><p>Class: Archer</p><p>Master: Tohsaka Rin</p><p>True Name: EMIYA</p><p>Sex: Male</p><p>Height/Weight: 187cm 78kg</p><p>Alignment: Neutral</p><p>Strength: D</p><p>Mana: B</p><p>Endurance: C</p><p>Luck: E</p><p>Agility: C</p><p>Noble Phantasm: ?</p><p>Class Abilities:</p><p>Magic Resistance D</p><p>Independent Action B</p><p>Abilities:</p><p>Eye of the Mind (True) B</p><p>Clairvoyance C</p><p>Trace On: Circuit Connection EX</p><p>Noble Phantasm:</p><p>?</p><p>As for the Archer, there wasn't much to say about him. His physical parameters were quite weak, but his Noble Phantasm was somehow hidden from her eyes. Still, she doubted it would be much of a problem, judging from how easily he had been crushed by Berserker. But she also couldn't underestimate potential opponents as well. Making a note to observe his capabilities later, she moved on the next Servant.</p><p>Class: Rider</p><p>Master: Matou Sakura</p><p>True Name: Artoria Pendragon</p><p>Sex: Female</p><p>Height/Weight: 154cm 42kg</p><p>Alignment: Lawful Evil</p><p>Strength: B</p><p>Mana: A</p><p>Endurance: C</p><p>Luck: B</p><p>Agility: B</p><p>Noble Phantasm: A</p><p>Class Abilities:</p><p>Riding B</p><p>Magic Resistance B</p><p>Independent Action EX</p><p>Abilities:</p><p>Summer Sweeper A</p><p>Coaching A+</p><p>Reloaded C</p><p>Noble Phantasm:</p><p>Secace Morgan, Sword of Tenacious Burning Victory</p><p>Rider was somewhat difficult to face. Her sniper rifle provided a long-range advantage at the level of what an Archer-class Servant could do, making Ruler doubt whether she really was a Rider or not. Still, her skills and physical parameters were quite good as well, and she had no doubt that she would be difficult to fight if she brought out her mount as well. Her priority would be to disable her sniper rifle, then engage her from long range. Fortunately, her endurance wasn't that high, so she could likely defeat her if she could land a solid kick.</p><p>Class: Lancer</p><p>Master: ?</p><p>True Name: Artoria Pendragon</p><p>Sex: Female</p><p>Height/Weight: 171cm 57(?)kg</p><p>Alignment: Lawful Good(?)</p><p>Strength: B(?)</p><p>Mana: A(?)</p><p>Endurance: A(?)</p><p>Luck: C(?)</p><p>Agility: A(?)</p><p>Noble Phantasm: A++(?)</p><p>Class Abilities:</p><p>Riding A(?)</p><p>Magic Resistance B(?)</p><p>Abilities:</p><p>Mana Burst A(?)</p><p>Blessings from the End of the World EX(?)</p><p>Charisma B(?)</p><p>Noble Phantasm:</p><p>Rhongomyniad, the Spear that Shines to the End of the Earth</p><p>While she hadn't seen Lancer, she had no doubt she was a formidable enemy. After all, she was the closest existence in the Grail War to herself. Only the Lancer class Artoria had the qualifications for the Ruler class, so she was deeply familiar with the abilities of Lancer. She could also feel something off about the Lancer Saint Graph as well, so she would have to meet the Servant to confirm her worries about it. If it came down to it though, she was sure her Noble Phantasm could probably overwhelm her.</p><p>She started preparing for the various scenarios that could occur, all while heading towards the rough location of Assassin and Archer.</p>
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<a name="section0070"><h2>70. Chapter 70</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 70</p><p>Rin almost slumped onto the table once she took a seat, but she managed to catch herself. Showing weakness to others, even her allies, wasn't something she could do. After all, a Tohsaka must remain elegant at all times.</p><p>Still, having her Servant beaten so easily and quickly wasn't something she could just shrug off. Even now, he was still healing in his spiritual form, her mana being siphoned by him to repair his body.</p><p>"Are you alright Tohsaka-san?"</p><p>"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."</p><p>Answering her for perhaps the fifth time in an hour, Rin reassured Gray, who was wringing her hands after seeing Rin and her Servant in such a bad condition. Getting to the battlefield late a day after allying with them was something that Gray felt was unforgivable. The younger girl had fussed over Rin all the way until they reached the El-melloi groups base, and it had left Rin slightly irritated, though she was also grateful that someone was expressing concern over her condition, not that she would admit it to Gray's face.</p><p>"Ah, here's some tea."</p><p>Coming back from the kitchen, she placed a dainty porcelain cup filled with black, steaming hot tea on the table, the cup resting on a blue saucer with golden vine borders.</p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>Lifting the cup to her mouth, took a sip of the steaming hot concoction.</p><p>"Mmm."</p><p>It was pretty similar to her usual stuff she made herself, though she liked Archer's brew more. Well, it did help reenergize her by a bit.</p><p>The door leading to the living room creaked open, admitting in a tall, thin man with a drawn face and long, silky black hair. He was dressed in full formal wear, with a glaringly red tie juxtaposed against the rest of his black jacket, shirt, pants and gloves.</p><p>"Greetings Miss Tohsaka. I'm Professor El-Melloi, also known as Lord El-Melloi II of the Archibald family, the Lord in charge of the Department of Modern Magecraft of Theories, Norwich, at the Clock Tower of the Mage's Association."</p><p>He paused, then added.</p><p>"You can call me El-Melloi, but please remember to use the second when addressing me."</p><p>Rin was pleasantly surprised to find that it was him who was leading the mages faction investigation team in this war. She managed to set the cup down without dropping it, and recalled what she knew about him.</p><p>Lord El-Melloi II, true name Waver Velvet, was a participant in the past Fourth Holy Grail War, contending with her father for the ultimate prize. He had served as the Master of Rider, Alexander the Great. But he had been defeated in the end through unknown means, most likely by one of the few remaining Servants in the late stages of the War. The records compiled regarding the last War weren't very complete. Still, he had managed to survive, and ended up going back to the Clock Tower in London.</p><p>Her occupation as a magus necessitated her to acquire information about the Mage's Association, and the Clock Tower in particular. Hence, she had received a lot of news about the up and coming rising star of the Clock Tower from her contacts and liaison with the Clock Tower. El Melloi managed to turn the abandoned Modern Magecraft classroom into a talent generating machine that produced magi who attained the rank of "Brand" and "Pride without fail, the bottom two of the top three ranks for magi in the Clock Tower. The department flourished under his leadership, with flocks of new magi signing up for his class, creating a new generation of magi that was almost exclusively tutored by him. It was said that if he bothered to gather up all the magi he had taught, he would wield enough influence to challenge the three main factions in the Clock Tower just by himself.</p><p>Rin had set her eyes on him as a prime candidate for tutelage after she graduated, so she was pleasantly surprised to know he was her ally in this war. She had heard mostly good things about him, so he seemed quite reliable.</p><p>"I'm Tohsaka Rin, Second Owner of Fuyuki."</p><p>Compared to El-Melloi, her greeting was much shorter, with her simply inclining her head to him in acknowledgement.</p><p>"Is calling you Miss Tohsaka okay with you?"</p><p>"It's fine. More importantly, did Gray tell you about the appearance of Ruler?"</p><p>She pushed straight to the reason she was here, to discuss the new elements that had suddenly appeared in the War with him. While Gray was the Master, she wasn't the one who was in charge of the whole team. Rather, El-Melloi was the leader around here, and the other Lords had named him as so. It was unlikely the group would be able to function with someone else as the leader anyways.</p><p>"Yes, it seems we have a new player on the board."</p><p>He unfolded the chess board he had been carrying ever since he had entered the room and placed it on the center of the table between him and Rin. Ivory chess pieces appeared on the board, each piece unique and detailed, each piece scattered across the board. Rin could recognize seven of the pieces, but on the far end of the board facing the seven pieces, she could see two new pieces with designs that were somewhat foreign to her.</p><p>One piece looked like a holy woman holding a staff with her right hand, her left balancing a set of scales. A long billowing cloak trailed past her feet, a white gown covering her other piece was blackened, with chains wrapping around the piece, a long mane of hair falling front, obscuring its face. Leather bindings wrapped around its arms and chest, with a loincloth the only thing covering its modesty.</p><p>"As you can see, two new classes have been summoned into the War. One, the Ruler class, in charge of governing the Holy Grail War. The other, an ultra rare class that has only been summoned once before by the Einzberns, the Avenger class."</p><p>Rin nodded. She had made a point of studying the Holy Grail War, down to the very last detail, and while she couldn't exactly recall the most obscure things, the fact that Avenger was summoned by the Einzberns and the role of Ruler were things she remembered clearly like she had read it yesterday.</p><p>"So Ruler was most likely summoned in response to the appearance of Avenger. An extra class being summoned in the place of the regular Servant classes is already enough reason for Ruler to appear, which was only circumvented by the Einzberns with their knowledge of the system. With Avenger summoned after the seven classes already present, this only gave more cause for Ruler to appear."</p><p>El-Melloi agreed with her assessment. Ruler issuing a bounty on the Avenger-class Servant had all but given away the reason behind her summoning.</p><p>"Still, how do you plan on investigating the Greater Grail now? Ruler stated that she was going to carry out her own investigation, and banned any mages from entering the vicinity."</p><p>He replied immediately.</p><p>"We'll negotiate a deal with her. We can offer our support in her investigation in exchange for access. After all, our goals might not be perfectly aligned with each other, but some points certainly coincide."</p><p>Though they would certainly come into conflict with Ruler in the end, since her goal was to ensure a fair and impartial Holy Grail War, while the magus investigation team was there to check if the corruption was infesting the Holy Grail, and if there was then they would be in charge of stopping it and dismantling the entire system. If they confirmed the existence of the same substance that coated the knife in the Grail was well, Ruler could turn into their enemy. Taking apart the Holy Grail was very well the opposite of what she wanted, basically making the Holy Grail War continue in a fair manner, which required the Greater Grail to be intact.</p><p>But in the short term, they both wanted to kill Avenger and investigate the Greater Grail, so they could probably come to a short-term agreement based on that. They also had the option of sneaking in or defeating her with brute force, but if they were caught sneaking in, the consequences would be devastating, and he wasn't sure if even two Servants could stand up to her, especially with the Command Seals that Ruler wielded as a privilege of her class.</p><p>Rin nodded. She had come to the same conclusion herself earlier.</p><p>"Then let's find an opportunity to contact her and negotiate with her."</p><p>She had barely finished saying it when they heard a large crash in the courtyard just outside the front door. A spray of gravel scattered against the glass windows, clattering against it forcefully.</p><p>Gray pulled out Add in scythe form as Assassin materialized in front of her, sword drawn, while El-Melloi activated his Circuits, and Rin pulled out a few jewels out of her pockets, holding them between her fingers.</p><p>A second of silence passed.</p><p>*Kok*</p><p>"This is Ruler. May I come in?"</p><p>Speak of the devil. She had just rushed over after talking with Shirou, and arrived at the right moment for Rin and El-Melloi.</p><p>El-Melloi and Rin relaxed, while Assassin lowered her blade, though she remained materialized, and Gray leaned her scythe on the ground.</p><p>"Caules, is that Ruler?"</p><p>Caules checked the defense matrix cum detection system from his control center deep inside the manor.</p><p>"Yes, the signature seems to be that of Ruler. Also, the cameras are showing a woman in a bunny su-"</p><p>"I get it."</p><p>He waved a hand, and the door opened by itself.</p><p>Walking through the open portal, her bunny ears just barely fitting under the wooden door frame, was Ruler.</p><p>"Greetings, Master of Assassin and Master of Archer. I have come to secure your cooperation regarding the investigation of the Greater Grail."</p><p>The two of them looked at each other, blinked, then looked back at Ruler.</p>
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<a name="section0071"><h2>71. Chapter 71</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 71</p><p>Kirei sat in the backroom of the church, a bottle of wine open on the table in front of him, his right hand swirling around a red glass of wine. The dim lights barely illuminated the room, the wine merely a dark liquid with a slight red tint under their glow.</p><p>"Ruler…"</p><p>To think that the class would appear in this war. Normally, a Holy Grail War would never have such a class manifest. They only appeared in dire times, when the Holy Grail War was perverted to such an extent that it couldn't be ignored, with a powerful overseer required to rectify the errors and ensure the rest of the war carried on normally. Even when Avenger was summoned, and when Caster summoned the abyssal monster in the middle of the city, Ruler still wasn't summoned. Though the lack of Ruler class Servants could also be due to the presence of the overseer from the Church, who filled the role that the Ruler class would hold should it be summoned.</p><p>In any case, he could only think of one major reason that would cause Ruler to be summoned by the system itself. Her words only confirmed his suspicion.</p><p>Avenger was here.</p><p>Although, he was quite certain that she wasn't referring to the thing in the heart of the Greater Grail. If it had manifested in the material world, he was sure he would have known by now. Instead, it had most likely attained a puppet that would act according to its whims, allowing it to operate in the physical realm. This was most likely achieved by summoning the Extra class Avenger, and this flagrant disregard of the rules had most likely triggered Ruler's appearance. There were still some mysteries about her appearance though.</p><p>For example, her bunny suit.</p><p>He couldn't even begin to come up with a reasonable deduction concerning attire. In particular, Lancer had reported her using cards, or playing cards to be exact. It left him worried about what exactly her abilities were. After all, it was highly likely that they would face each other sooner or later. If she was seeking to destroy Avenger, then he was going to protect Avenger. He would do anything within his power to make sure the abomination was born into this world. It was the answer to his question he had carried throughout his entire twisted life after all.</p><p>It would be nice to see what exactly she looked like though. Lancer had mentioned that she was the Servant closest to her in this war amongst all the other Artorias she had seen.</p><p>Regarding the identities of the other Servants, besides Archer, all of them were reported to be Artorias in one way or another. While he had questions regarding some of them, especially the maid version, their origins and why only Artorias were summoned for this war were things he couldn't answer. Perhaps it was karma for destroying the Lesser Grail and preventing Angra Mainyu's entrance into the world. Regardless of the reason, all that mattered to him was that they died and fed the Grail.</p><p>Although, he supposed he could always ask his Servant about her own origins. If nothing, it would at least be entertaining to find out her weaknesses and torment her with them. So far, he had been unable to find anything about her that he could mess with. She had been extremely cold and professional, to the point that he wondered if she was still human at all. At least he had no problems working with her, but it would be nice to be able play with her.</p><p>She had been going out into the city a lot recently. Perhaps he could ask what she was doing there in her spare time.</p><p>He jumped to his feet, his Black Keys already drawn before the glass of wine shattered on the stone floor, the red liquid spilling out and touching his boots.</p><p>He hadn't felt anything physically. There had been no crashing noises, no whispers of footsteps. He hadn't felt the ground tremble, nor had he felt the cold steel of a blade to his neck. Yet, his body moved all the same, reacting automatically before he could form a coherent thought.</p><p>Then it hit him.</p><p>"Guh!"</p><p>His vision wavered, the world suddenly tinted blood red, his mouth dry as his throat struggled to swallow his spit. Sweat dribbled down his back as his nose flared, his eyes widening then closing as he tried to blink off the haze that was covering it. His ears felt like they were packed with cotton, his body stiff like a wooden board. If he still had a human heart, he was sure it would be beating as fast as a running rabbit's. He had only felt a reaction close to this before after losing his heart, which was when he ate Mapo Tofu.</p><p>But his mind remained clear, and he was able to force his body to turn to the left.</p><p>Standing there, it's body barely reflected the yellow lamps glowing on the walls, despite it being fully clad in black metallic armor. Kirei was reminded of the appearance of Berserker from the past Grail War he had participated in.</p><p>The moment he saw it, the killing intent directed at him lessened, though it was still there. His body became able to move more freely, and he decided to sheath the Black Keys he had drawn. If it wanted to kill him, it would have done so a long time ago.</p><p>"Are you Avenger?"</p><p>He could feel his heart spasming in response to the creature in front of him, the mud animating him squirming just from being close to it.</p><p>Like a rusted chainsaw moving again after years of disuse, it spoke.</p><p>"I aM AveNGeR."</p><p>Avenger's voice grated on his ears, but he could understand it with some effort.</p><p>"What do you want from me, a man of the cloth?"</p><p>He could barely conceal his satisfied smirk at seeing it, but he still had to discern it's intent. Additionally, he could feel irrational wisps of hatred growing inside of him, most likely due to Avenger's influence.</p><p>"YoU. TelL LaNCeR. WE kILl RuLeR."</p><p>Kirei didn't even need to think as he replied.</p><p>"Is that all? Then consider it done."</p><p>If that was what it wanted, then he would comply with it. Originally, he was planning on killing Ruler after stealing her Command Seals and weakening her, but if Angra Mainyu was sending Avenger to attack her, then her defeat was possible. After all, her Command Seals were made to work against the seven regular classes, but she had no such power over Avenger.</p><p>The Servant gave no indication that it heard his reply. Instead, it turned around, and walked off into the shadows of the corridor leading downwards. The armor made no sound at all, even when they seemed to rub against each other, the parts silenced like they were coated in rubber. Disappearing into the shadows, he felt the killing intent and hatred stirring inside him die down as it left, his body returning to normal.</p><p>Despite that, he couldn't help but feel joy spewing out like a fountain from the bottom of his heart. To think that even just a puppet could be like that. What then, would Angra Mainyu be like when it was born into the world?</p>
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<a name="section0072"><h2>72. Chapter 72</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 72</p><p>Each and every Holy Grail participant had already been informed of Rulers arrival and her announcement, and Matou Zouken was no exception. Even in his weakened state, he still had familiars that he could use to monitor the other Masters and Servants, allowing him to spectate the battles and places they were staying at through the gleaming eyes of his insects. Though admittedly after Rider's actions, they were spread quite thin across the entire city. He only had enough to watch Assassin's base, Tohsaka's mansion, the Einzbern mansion and his own former house. The Bounded Field of Ryuudou Temple was difficult to penetrate, and with Caster's defenses it became even more impossible. The rest were in reserve, following him around wherever he went.</p><p>"For Avenger to appear, what fortuitous timing…"</p><p>He was originally quite worried when Ruler appeared, but if Avenger was also present, then perhaps something could be done about Ruler. While Rider had flushed out many of his worms, the core was still safe and wrapped around Sakura's heart. It could be possible to make her order Rider to fight Ruler when the opportunity arose. If Ruler was weakened enough, he could usurp control over her and claim as his own Servant, granting him a means through which he could influence the war, and providing him with a powerful puppet.</p><p>His familiar, the Lust Worms, provided him with the means to take control of people, and even Servants, which were spirit based familiars. However, in order to do so, he had to rip out the target's vertebrae and replace it with one of his worms to replace their spinal cord, effectively letting him control their spinal cord and manipulate their body. It didn't matter if the body was dead or alive, as long as it was mostly intact, he could use it.</p><p>He was quite sure that Rider couldn't fight Ruler in a one on one duel though. The Command Seals were quite troublesome to deal with, and in the first place the Holy Grail was directly supplying them with energy, so it was no problem for them to release Noble Phantasms, to the point that continuously using it in combat was possible. Still, it seems that Avenger was the enemy of Ruler, and would likely clash with her at some point. As long as Rider was in position to snipe Ruler with that ridiculous rifle of hers, Ruler could be defeated.</p><p>"?"</p><p>It seemed like the familiars stationed at the Edelfelt mansions had detected something interesting. Focusing his mind, he transferred their sense of sight and hearing to himself, hijacking their eyes and ears for his own use. It was like traveling through a dark tunnel, with purple light in a pattern vaguely twisting and intersecting around the walls of the tunnel, with patterns similar to how his Magic Crest used to look like. It was over in an instant, as he peered through the beady eyes of his familiar, silently crouching in the grass of the lawn, half buried in the dirt to reduce exposure. While El-Melloi had set up Bounded Field to check the mansion and it's vicinity for familiars, Zouken's familiar were developed to escape these detections by emulating the signature of a regular insect as closely as possible. After all, they couldn't undergo full scans that analyzed even all the worms, beetles, butterflies and other insects that inhabited the mansion and the nearby area. It was for this reason that his familiars were difficult to detect by other magi, though if they got close enough, they would still be exposed.</p><p>From the corner of the garden, he could see Ruler standing at the door, lightly knocking on it, with her saying a few words. The door opened, and she stepped in. The door shut behind her, losing the Bounded Field. He strained his familiars ears, using it's impressive hearing to try and detect sound, but it was unable to. Most likely, there were Bounded Fields preventing eavesdropping and scrying surrounding the mansion.</p><p>After waiting for a while, she left the mansion, hopping off with great force and deepening the crater she had made when she arrived. The tremors traveled through the ground to jostle the familiar, shaking the dirt around it, but it managed to stay anchored in the ground.</p><p>He had to say, after seeing her again, her outfit was quite amazing, in various ways. Even as wraith tied to the world only through his worm familiars, he still had a healthy appreciation for beauty.</p><p>What business could she have with Assassin and the mages though? He knew that the Ruler class was supposed to be impartial, and couldn't favour any sides. She could be checking up on each Master individually. If that was so, perhaps he could find a chance to test Ruler when she visited one of them. If he was lucky, perhaps one of the Master's would attack her. Lancer's Master still remained a mystery after all, and he wouldn't be surprised if Lancer attacked Ruler. For now, he would remain observant of what happened in the city with his familiars.</p><p>"Moouuu, I was so bored! I can't believe onii-chan and onee-chan were so weak! At this rate, I might actually win the Holy Grail War you know, Ecchan?"</p><p>Illya kicked her feet under the kotatsu, childishly complaining with puffed cheeks as she rested her chin on the table, Berserker tucked in opposite her under the blankets, stuffing her face with conbini (convenience store) breads.</p><p>"I agree, Illya. It seems they truly are no match for you. Also, I seem to be able to counter even the original Saber. As expected of me." For some reason, Berserker had been acting weirdly ever since she had fought Saber, with a self-satisfied air, even though she should have been down from letting Illya get kidnapped. Well, she had been, but only for a brief moment. After visiting the nearest conbini, she had regained her spirits and cleanly forgotten the fight.</p><p>"Why are you so happy about beating Saber? It's not like she was particularly strong anyways. Though, to think it's her again…" She could clearly remember that face, even though she had only seen it a few times in her childhood. It was after all, a face that had appeared along with the last few times she had seen her father and mother in person.</p><p>Ecchan saw the melancholy on her face, and quickly slid over a plastic wrapped bread to her.</p><p>"Try this one. The chocolate cream filling really mixes well with the chewy white bread, and the chocolate chips give it an added texture that makes every bite enjoyable."</p><p>"But I've already had-"</p><p>"Try it, you won't regret it."</p><p>Under Ecchan's watchful gaze, Illya opened up the plastic wrapping and gently nibbled a bite of the white bread with the rich, brown chocolate cream filling that stained the edges of her mouth, the cream expanding in her mouth as she bit down on the bread.</p><p>"Mmmm! Delishush!"</p><p>Illya's cream stained mouth as she smiled was recorded with the hidden camera Leysritt had placed in the room.</p><p>*Click*</p><p>"Another one."</p><p>*Click*</p><p>"Another one."</p><p>*Click*</p><p>After several more, she finally stopped, adding them to the file titled "Cute Illya on the computer.</p><p>Before leaving the mansion, she had known almost nothing about technology, and was clueless about phones, television and the like. But after coming into contact with movies during her stay in Fuyuki while out shopping for groceries, she had made an effort to learn more about them, and as a result had managed to gain a working grasp of most modern-day technologies, including cameras and computers. In the end, she had decided to use her newfound knowledge to make a folder of Illya photos to calm down Sella when she was stressed, and to that end she had placed cameras hidden all over the place while Illya was away with Berserker in the city. This was after all, the best way to use such advanced technology. To record cute girls doing cute things.</p><p>*Clang!*</p><p>Like a hammer crashing against an anvil, the sound rang through the rooms and hallways of the castle. Leysritt shut down the computer and hurried to meet with Sella, who was currently preparing dinner for Illya.</p><p>"Sounds like there is another intruder, Illya."</p><p>"Un. Let's go greet them properly Ecchan."</p><p>Illya pulled on her thick coat as Ecchan dematerialized her casual school clothes and dressed in her battle wear.</p><p>High in the sky above the Einzbern forest, a bunny, no, a woman in a bunny suit, floated through the air like a fairy, before rapidly dropping in an arc to land on the ground and then bounce straight back up like a rabbit hopping, if a rabbit could hop hundreds of meters into the air. In only a few more hops, Ruler would arrive at the mansion.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0073"><h2>73. Chapter 73</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 73</p><p>The visit to the faction of the Mage's Association was quite fruitful. Having the Tohsaka family help out in the investigation would surely prove to be beneficial, with their knowledge of the land. If there were any anomalies in the leylines, she would know. In addition, their possession of the knife as proof was a helpful coincidence. With that, she could easily pinpoint the root of the problem in the Greater Grail. All she had to do was search for a similar magical signature in the Greater Grail and see how far it had infiltrated in the system.</p><p>To be safe though, it was probably best to ask the Einzberns for their help as well. Since they were the original designers of the Holy Grail system, they would be best suited for analysing the system. According to the information provided to her by the Holy Grail, their mansion should be somewhere around here in the forest, on the western outskirts of the city. They had tapped into the leylines here to construct their Bounded Fields, so it was easy to locate them. She had also triggered the Bounded Fields to announce her arrival to them, giving them advanced warning so they wouldn't attack her immediately. Hopefully, they'd be willing to listen to her, or else she might have to use force.</p><p>The lights of the castle grew brighter as she got closer, two small figures visible standing in front of the heavy steel portcullis blocking the entrance.</p><p>A chill unlike that of the wind brushed across her neck, making her whole body shiver for an instant. Without delay, she summoned a lion and planted both feet squarely on its back, using it as a platform to boost her jump upwards.</p><p>*BOOM*</p><p>With a massive leap that sent her close to the stratosphere, she shot clear of the black blur zoomed straight through the space she had been occupying just now, obliterating the lion of light as it passed through.</p><p>"AARRRRTHHUUURRRR!"</p><p>The roar of rage crashed against the howling winds far above the castle, the torrent of sound reaching Ruler's ears and stirring vestiges of recognition. Then her eyes narrowed, sharpening as she acquired her new target.</p><p>"Avenger."</p><p>There could be no mistake. Even though the Servant's True Name was hidden through some sort of skill, their abilities and parameters invisible to her, the class was still obvious to her. Not to mention the tugging of her emotions that heralded the beginning of anger in her.</p><p>"To think that you would show up so early."</p><p>Well, if Avenger was going to offer themself up on a golden platter for her, she wasn't going to turn them down. It was time to show them that the house always won.</p><p>Flicking her hands outwards, decks of cards filled her hands, with two lions materializing at her side, their manes unruffled by the wind, standing in the air as they glowed with yellow light, dwarfing Ruler between the two like a bicycle between two vans.</p><p>Below them, Avenger growled as it landed on the ground, carving a long track through the dirt as it slid to a stop.</p><p>Illya and Berserker stared at Ruler from the ground.</p><p>"It doesn't seem like she's coming with the intent to attack."</p><p>"Maybe. Even so, stay on your guard Ecchan. While she is the Ruler class, I still don't trust anything that comes from the Grail."</p><p>The two of them waited for her arrival. But their vigil was soon broken when the other Servant intervened.</p><p>"Ecchan!"</p><p>Her Servant nodded, and then leapt forward to assist Ruler. The both of them knew by sight that this was no ordinary Servant. The malice pouring off the Servant reached even those who were standing a full mile away, tickling the edges of their minds. As the duty of the Masters, they had to eradicate this abomination of a class.</p><p>Ruler watched Berserker race forward, charging straight for Avenger to engage it. Between the two of them, Avenger stood no chance. Releasing a roar that would explode a normal human's eardrums, the lions charged ahead of Ruler as they descended to fight Avenger.</p><p>Avenger turned to face Berserker first, who reached them after sprinting nonstop through the forest. In the process of getting to Avenger, she had also cut a few trees, and kicked them towards it before she reached Avenger, using her telekinesis to slightly nudge the trees to land on Avenger and increase their accuracy.</p><p>*SCHING*</p><p>With one swing, the tree trunk was cleaved in half and flew past her, the rest of the logs following the same fate as they were bisected easily and hurtled past her into the dark forest. In a heartbeat, Berserker was on her, following right behind the tree trunks.</p><p>Crimson lightning wreathed her lightsaber as it activated with its dual blades, spinning and humming with each blow against Avenger. It didn't miss a beat, dropping to the ground to let the blades swing above her, thrusting it's sword from the ground below Berserker's guard to pierce her heart.</p><p>She managed to twist the blade so that it was parried past her body, the blade slicing through the air just right under her arm and next to her ribs. Taking the chance, Berserker leapt backwards and observed her opponent, trying to discern it's identity.</p><p>Avenger picked itself off the ground, lurching around to face Berserker with unnatural movements, jerking like a puppet. Yet, it displayed no problems moving earlier when it clashed against Berserker. It's sword dragged on the ground, it's back hunched over as it peered at Berserker through it's helm.</p><p>Looking at Avenger, Berserker realized that the Servant wasn't very tall at all. In fact, with it's back hunched, it almost looked small, and she guessed that if it stood up straight they would be about the same height. Though the entire suit of armor was black, she could still tell various shades of darkness, and it had a very distinctive design as well. In fact, it felt somewhat familiar as well. Had she seen it before somewhere? The helmet itself was the most recognizable piece of the entire helmet, and Berserker was strongly reminded of something that she struggled to recall.</p><p>"It feels like I've seen that helmet before, on an annoying person from the Servant Galaxy."</p><p>Maybe that was why she couldn't remember where she'd seen it before, because the person in question was so annoying around her that she'd sealed all memories about her.</p><p>How troublesome.</p><p>Well, she could still find out her abilities and identity with a tried and true method though. Raising Necrocalibur diagonally in front of her, she let her mana run rampant, crimson lightning crackling around her entire body as her cold gaze focused on Avenger.</p><p>"This is where the fun begins."</p><p>Kicking off the ground, she sped across the forest floor, covering the distance between them in a blink of an eye and slamming her electricity wreathed lightsaber into Avengers sword, the lightsaber growling as it bit into the metal, slowly melting it's way through the sword.</p><p>"GRahhhHHHHHHH!"</p><p>Berserker felt the strength behind Avengers arms explosively increase, throwing her back as red mana suffused its arms and repulsed her blow as easily as a sledge hammer breaking ice. Without pausing, red mana glowed, and then blasted out of Avengers legs as she shot forward like a rocket, sword arm stretched forward for a thrust to stab straight through Berserker's torso.</p><p>"Mana Burst…"</p><p>Making note of the skill, Berserker positioned her blade in the way of the sword, slamming her feet into the roots of the trees spreading across the grounds to tilt her body sideways slightly with an extra added push from telekinesis. The sequence of movements were smoothly completed in less than a second, allowing her to barely dodge the sword, as it glided along the surface of her plasma blade and missed, the force pushing her to the side of Avenger as it flew past her.</p><p>In slow motion, Berserker saw Avenger's foot lash out right as it passed her, the black sabaton and greaves flying into her face. With no distance between them at all, Berserker was unable to dodge in the slightest, barely able to turn her face to the side to avoid having her nose smashed in as the steel met her head.</p><p>*BOOM*</p><p>Berserker flew backwards, straight into a tree trunk, crashing through it, and then finally stopping at a second tree trunk behind it. Wood splinters flew across the forest floor as the tree toppled, the second tree bending and tilting ever so slightly from the fracture in it's trunk made by Berserker, before it toppled as well.</p><p>Fast. She couldn't believe that Avenger would be able to act so instinctively at such a moment, attacking her while her guard was down, no, before she was able to put her guard up. It was like a wild animal acting on raw instinct, achieving the best possible result without having to think it through and calculate each movement. It seemed like Avenger was that type of fighter.</p><p>Coughing a bit, she rolled to the side and dodged the tree trunk thrown at her, the tree that she had crashed through just now plowing into the stump and the barely connected upper trunk lying on the ground. The wood exploded from the force they collided at, the thick trees splintering as Berserker was showered in splinters, the two trunks now wedged together like some haphazardly created puzzle piece.</p><p>Shaking her head, she tried to dispel the dizziness filling her head as Avenger charged at her. The kick had shook her brain quite a bit, and her right eye was now heavily bruised, to the point that she could barely see with it. She could also feel her cheek starting to swell up, and her jaw felt tender. Incidentally, she could also feel some tough shards in her mouth, as well as blood. Most likely, the kick had smashed her teeth to pieces as well. It was a miracle that her jaw hadn't been dislocated.</p><p>As she staggered to her feet, Avengers sword was already at her forehead.</p><p>*BANG*</p><p>Just centimeters away from Berserker's pale skin, the tip stopped and then swung upwards, intercepting the cards raining down on her. In a matter of seconds, it was enveloped in small explosions as the cards charged with mana impacted on its armor and exploded, eroding it's armor bit by bit. Taking the chance, Berserker disengaged to regain her bearings.</p><p>"Allow me to assist you Berserker."</p><p>Ruler descended next to Berserker on a lion as the rain of cards petered out, revealing Avenger with dents and nicks in its armor, but was otherwise mostly unharmed. The armor was thick and tough, while providing enough flexibility for Avenger to move freely.</p><p>"Seems like they're ready for the second round. But this time, the cards are stacked in our favour."</p><p>Ruler and Berserker squared off against Avenger, as the Servant of hatred lurched to face them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0074"><h2>74. Chapter 74</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 74</p><p>Kill.</p><p>Kill Arthur.</p><p>KiLl ArThuR.</p><p>KKILLLllll AARRrrrTThuuuRRRRrrr.</p><p>"AAARRRTTHHUUURRRRRRR!"</p><p>The black sword trailed behind Avenger as it threw itself forward, both arms angled backwards like as it thrust it's chest forward in it's charge, legs furiously churning on the snow covered ground. Each step broke the dirt, carving a divot into the ground, the tree roots smashed into oblivion. Deep within the helmet, it's two eyes were locked on both Servants, veins bulging on its face as it roared with jaws almost unhinged.</p><p>"I'll go first." Berserker spat her broken teeth onto the ground, spit mixing with blood and white molars as they fell. Steadying herself, she pressed a palm to her neck and passed a light current through it with her electricity.</p><p>"Ngh."</p><p>The prickling sensation helped focus her mind, driving away some of the disorientation from the kick to her head just now. Swinging her arm experimentally, she stood in front of Ruler, knees bent in preparation to blunt Avenger's charge. Her breathing evened out as she zoned in on Avenger.</p><p>While Ruler could fight her in hand-to-hand combat, she was more suited to providing support from the backline with her lions supporting Berserker. If too many people fought Avenger at once, it was possible they'd catch each other with friendly crossfire, undermining the entire point of fighting together. Berserker could technically throw lightning from the side, as well as objects, but it wasn't very accurate, and would likely hit Ruler when she fought with Avenger.</p><p>*schwip*</p><p>Ruler raised her hands and materialized her cards, green gem-like surfaces sparkling in her hands. Flourishing them like a magician, she stared at Avenger and started flicking them, the cards sailing through the air as their sharp edges gleamed under the moonlight. The cards gradually increased in number, Ruler swinging her arms rapidly as whole decks were unleashed at Avenger like bullets from a machine gun.</p><p>Avenger dove to the right and left, zig-zagging with ease while going at high speed as it dodged the cards flying at him. The black armor didn't hinder it at all, allowing him to shrug off the stray cards that hit as well, the cards simply sliding off it like rain on an umbrella. Getting behind a tree, it swung it's sword, cutting the tree in half, then grasped the trunk and pulled it off the stump, charging forward with the entire tree as it's shield. The tree shook as it was lifted, the snow on it's branches sloughing off onto the dirt, then it's branches broke and snapped as it was hurled forward, rolling on the ground towards Berserker and Ruler.</p><p>Ruler stopped throwing her cards, a new deck materializing in her right hand as it glowed a dull red, the middle significantly brighter like lava breaking through the ground. Bending the deck of cards inward, they flew towards her left like a bridge of cards, the red forming a continuous line like a red carpet going from her right to her left. From the top right to the bottom left, not a single card fell out of line, each perfectly captured within her hands. When the last card left her right hand, she spun in a circle, her left hand scattering the cards around her, until they were floating in the air around her in a circle by the time she faced forward again, like a glowing red chakram.</p><p>"Deal."</p><p>The circle of cards rose above her head, floated into the air and flew towards the tree trunk, spinning all the way. The tree trunk crashing through the forest and the circle of cards met each other, tens of meters away from Berserker and Ruler, while Avenger followed right behind it's makeshift shield.</p><p>*DZOOOM*</p><p>The cards lit up briefly like the surface of the sun, then they exploded, sending the tree to plant heaven as it burst into thousands of wooden splinters and shards that were swiftly consumed by the explosion, with only a small chunk of the trunk at the far end surviving, barely larger than a tire as it bounced on the forest floor. The shockwave of the blast washed over Berserker and Ruler, ruffling their hair as they waited for Avenger to show up.</p><p>Their expectations were not betrayed as it burst straight through the vapour of melted snow, the chest and arms slightly melted and distorted. Still, the explosion had done nothing to dampen it's movements, it's drive to kill them fueling it's body as it leaped up and straight towards Berserker, swinging it's sword in an overhead swing with all it's might.</p><p>The steel bit into the ground deeply, carving a furrow as Berserker sidestepped to avoid the attack. The red blade of lightsaber thrust towards Avenger's unprotected sides, Berserker's other hand gathering power for a burst of lightning. Without pulling out her sword, Avenger kicked up a spray of dirt, temporarily blinding Berserker, though her sword continued thrusting forward, then Avenger moved forward to impale itself on the lightsaber.</p><p>*vuoo-schk*</p><p>The plasma blade sank straight through the armor, the end sticking out of the back of Avenger.</p><p>"?!"</p><p>Berserker deactivated the lightsaber, trying to jump out of range, but she was too late. Reaching out, a black gauntlet rushed forward and clamped down on her neck, refusing to let go. Lifting Berserker off the ground so her legs couldn't touch it, Avenger applied pressure, inexorably increasing it's strength to crush her throat.</p><p>"Khhkaahk-"</p><p>Berserker's eyes bulged outwards, her mouth opening and closing as her hands clawed at Avenger's arm, her fists impacting on the steel and failing to even scratch it. Instead, her own fists were bruised. Her legs jerked and twitched, her body starting to spasm from the lack of oxygen. Darkness creeped in at the edges of her vision, her mind growing fuzzier and fuzzier.</p><p>"GGAAAOORRRR"</p><p>Avenger left hand, drawn back to punch through Berserker's core, quickly whipped around to punch the lion in the face, the plated fist digging into the light, passing through it with ease. The lion exploded in a flash of light, bright enough to blind Avenger even with the slit visor protecting their eyes.</p><p>Another lion bit into the arm holding Berserker while Avenger was stunned, forcing Avenger to drop Berserker in a bid to shake off the lion. Ruler hurled a red card, the rectangular weapon flying true until it slammed into the helm of Avenger, blowing up in its face. Avenger's head was thrown backwards like it had been punched, it's entire body bending backwards from the force of the explosion, though it's legs still remained planted on the ground.</p><p>*KrnCH*</p><p>Avenger tugged it's left arm, but found it locked in another lion's mouth, black blood oozing out of the punctures the fangs had made in its arms as the armor was easily crushed within the mouth of the lion. With both arms securely locked by the lions, Avenger roared.</p><p>"ARRRTTHUUURRRRRR!"</p><p>Slamming one leg into the ground so violently that it shook, the aberrant Servant lunged forward, straining against the two lions pulling it backwards from each arm. The metal plates on her arms snapped and buckled under the immense pressure of the lions, the flesh of her arms straining as they were pulled in two directions by Avenger and the lions. Avenger glared ahead at Ruler, it's entire body shaking as it struggled to pull free to reach Ruler. Pushing it's entire body downwards to lower it's center of gravity, it applied even more force, the muscles fibers on the verge of snapping as the bones creaked. The two lions on each side planted their large paws firmly on the ground, four anchors each to keep their prey from escaping their grasp.</p><p>*snick*</p><p>The sound of the tendons and flesh snapping and pulling apart one by one came from it's arms, and then the left arm broke free from the body, a stump of black substance and sharp edges of bone sticking out of the broken hole near the shoulder of it's armour.</p><p>"AARTHUR!"</p><p>*KRANG*</p><p>The sound of metal being crushed and distorted resounded in the clearing as a third lion manifested in front of Avenger to bite into it's torso with it's maw sideways, crushing the ornate steel plate. Before Avenger could even do anything more than tilting its head to look downwards at it, a fourth lion showed up behind Avenger and went low, clamping down on it's legs. With its arms, body and legs restrained, Avenger was a sitting duck, left squirming within the lion's grasp as the broken armor plates scraped against each other, roaring helplessly like a wounded animal.</p><p>A light yellow glow suffused the air around Ruler as she started to chant.</p><p>"Noble vessel Ehangwen, deploy intercontinental heavy cannon! Fire away, Rhongomyniad!"</p><p>Three halos manifested in the air above Ruler, energy thrumming in the air as a pillar of light shot through the halos and into the sky. Avenger stared at Ruler, howling in futility.</p><p>"ARRRTTHUURRRR!"</p><p>The beam of light fell from the heavens, divine judgement from the strongest dealer of Las Vegas, laying bare the truths and lies on the table of cards.</p><p>*DOM*</p><p>The lions vanished as soon the beam hit the ground, the energy vaporizing the ground and creating a perfectly circular sinkhole.</p><p>Without even debris thrown up, all that was left in the center was a hole, the dirt melted and fused together. All the snow was melted, evaporated into the air, and the roots were burnt to ash. On the sides, Berserker stared at the former location of Avenger, who had disappeared into thin air.</p><p>"So this is what Ruler is capable of."</p><p>Berserker suspected Ruler didn't even need her help to take out Avenger. About all she had done was serve as bait to keep Avenger in place while she was being choked. Ruler stepped forward to the edge of the hole, peering downwards into the darkness.</p><p>"..."</p><p>Didn't seem like anything could survive that. Turning her back on the hole, she walked towards Berserker, ready to award her with the Command Seals.</p><p>*Schk*</p><p>"Father."</p><p>Ruler froze in place, her eyes wide staring at the blade that had pierced through her chest, blood welling up next to the sword as it flowed past her skin, bodysuit and down her legs.</p><p>*shf*</p><p>"Die."</p><p>The sword was pulled out, allowing Ruler to utilize her legs to jump away to put some distance between her unknown assailant. Before her legs could even begin to bend, a fist slammed into a back, hitting her spine and sending a massive wave of pain running through her entire nerve system, her body unable to respond as she was sent flying forward into the forest, her limbs loose and unresponsive as they flopped around while she bounced once, twice off the ground and rolled to a stop at the foot of a tree.</p><p>Berserker stared in horror at the new Servant, recognition finally dawning on her face as the armor was completely gone, having been destroyed in the blast that they assumed had killed Avenger.</p><p>"Mordred."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0075"><h2>75. Chapter 75</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 75</p><p>Flicking the sword to the side, the blood flew off the surface of Clarent, scattering on the ground as droplets of red rain. Raising her head, Mordred lifted her face to the sky and closed her eyes, savouring the chilly winds on her face. Her pale blond hair lifted with the wind, strands of stray hair tickling her shoulder and ears.</p><p>From the side, Berserker looked at Avenger as she stood there in the middle of the clearing next to the hole.</p><p>This wasn't the Mordred she knew from the Servant Galaxy, but they looked close enough for her to identify her as Mordred. The wild hair sticking out in spiky points framed both sides of her face, the color not unlike Berserker's own. Tied up in a messy bun with a dark crimson strip of cloth, the back of her head was like an explosion of hair, tufts of hair branching out in every direction. Only a longer and noticeably larger rope of hair hanging down made it look like a ponytail. Surprisingly, her clothing under the armour was close in appearance to the Mordred she knew from her own reality, consisting of a long sleeved crop top with a neckline that almost reached her throat, completely covering both her shoulders and collarbones. A silver ring wrapped around her neck, similar to a choker. Horizontal platinum lines traced along her chest, the two lines linking together into a sideways rhombus with a circle in the middle.</p><p>The material hugged her figure tightly, exposing her collarbone, toned shoulders, deltoids and biceps prominently. The swell of her admittedly petite chest was easily visible, with the valley between them swallowing the silver circle on the outfit. The lines seemed to enhance the chest, making it all the more visible as they wrapped around the top and bottom of it. On the back of her hands, two rhombuses overlapping each other could be seen, with another silver line leading up to her elbow running out of them.</p><p>Her toned abs over her stomach gently pulsed in and out with each breath, her deep breathing going directly to her diaphragm. The lean muscles were slight, unable to be compared with a bodybuilder's in size, but their size belied the strength they could exert. Incidentally, none of the Artorias could claim to have toned abs, even with the strength they wielded.</p><p>Going further down, her dark skirt could be seen. Gray clasps with platinum borders fastened the skirts left and right sides to the centerpiece wrapping around the waist. The top of the centerpiece dipped downwards in a "V" shaped, going from the tops of the hips all the way to right above the navel, the top of the muscle line running from the hip to the navel visible. Unlike the usual Mordred, there was no loincloth hanging in front of her crotch. Instead, an extremely tight black synthetic-looking shorts were on full display, the material tightly stretched across her thighs and crotch to hide her modesty.</p><p>Black tights followed below the shorts, a thick gray border at the top pinching into her pale white flesh, a "Y" shaped connecting it to the lower border near her knees. Her legs were slim and taut, the muscles not overly obvious, but athletic enough to be noticed at a first glance. The black tights were opaque, allowing the moonlight to hit her white thighs and calves, reflecting off the alabaster white skin that lay beneath the thin surface of fabric. The tights ended in boots that reached above her ankles, the black leather covered with dark metal plates with rough surfaces. Behind her, the black skirt covered her butt and fell all the way to her knees, the center shaped like a leaf with a cut going down the middle.</p><p>*Nying!*</p><p>Bluish-white blasts of mana pelted Avenger from all sides, a dozen birds made of glowing white threads floating in the air while shooting at her rapidly. Far back at the castle, Illya clenched her fists, praying for Berserker to stand up as fast she could.</p><p>The mana blasts dissipated against her skin harmlessly, like water splashing against stone. Lifting her sword that was hanging loosely by her side, she gathered mana in it. Red lightning crackled around it, the metal glowing a dull shade of red as magical energy was channeled into the weapon. With one swing, the familiars were eradicated.</p><p>The few seconds Illya managed to buy let Berserker get to her feet and jump towards Ruler's bleeding body. She kneeled down, flipping Ruler's body around to face the sky.</p><p>"Ngh…"</p><p>Ruler was still alive, but just barely. She had been pierced straight through the middle of her chest, the blade just barely missing the spinal cord to plunge through the lungs and ribcage, a visible exit wound bleeding profusely from her chest, staining her white bodysuit red. Her spine had also been punched earlier, so her legs weren't very responsive, and her whole body still felt numb after the rush of pain that flooded her body earlier. But with an A+ rank of Endurance and endless mana from the Grail, she was still far from being dead.</p><p>"Can you stand?"</p><p>Ruler shook her head, then her eyes widened as she saw the blade descending behind Berserker's back.</p><p>*Vuon!*</p><p>The crimson blade swung as fast as it could, Berserker using her technique of the Instantaneous Shadowless Blade (really just an application of her telekinesis to increase the velocity and control of her blade) to swiftly block it without turning around. But the blow was heavy enough to make her entire body sink, her feet cracking the roots of the tree and pushing down until she sank into the tightly packed dirt beneath the roots.</p><p>"Grrghh-"</p><p>The sword continued to press downwards, forcing Berserker, even with her unmatched rank of Strength, to kneel on the ground to support the weight. Was she this strong earlier? The thought flitted through Berserker's mind as she struggled to bear the weight of Avengers arms pushing down on her, the Servant in question barely looking like she was trying at all. In contrast, Berserker was already starting to sweat, her entire body shaking like a leaf in the wind as her muscles strained to prevent her own lightsaber from falling down and cutting her. The lightsaber hissed as it vied against the red blade, now crackling with electricity as it was augmented to take on the plasma blade without melting through prodigious usage of mana.</p><p>Acting quickly, Ruler withdrew a red card and chucked it at Berserker, her injured state doing little to hinder her aim with the distance they were at.</p><p>The card flew past Avengers head as she simply tilted it, allowing it to just miss as it exploded far behind her. Then the mana Berserker had been accumulating all along exploded in the form of red lightning.</p><p>*KURAKOOM*</p><p>Bolts of lightning danced from the center that was Berserker, the tendrils of energy slamming into trees and the ground, the wood catching fire and the dirt blown up in small craters. Avenger was blown backwards as well, being nearest to the explosion with no chance of dodging. However, it did little to her, her high rank of endurance allowing her to shrug it off easily.</p><p>The burst of lightning was concentrated on and released from her back, so Ruler was completely untouched. There was a hole in the bodysuit on Berserker's back now, and the cloak was completely ruined, but that could be easily fixed later. Taking Ruler into her arms, she bounced on one of the thin lines that Illya had just activated, Illya's mana surging through it as she detected Berserker signature resonating through the line, then she jumped.</p><p>*BWOOSH*</p><p>The instantaneous acceleration was comparable to Rulers bunny jumps, sending Berserker rocketing high into the sky with the boost Illya gave her, as well as her own natural jumping strength.</p><p>Below them, Avenger watched the escape, her pale eyes lighting up with the flames of anger as her lips contorted into a snarl.</p><p>"FAAATHERR!"</p><p>Her roar echoed in the forest, reaching the ears of the horse mounted Servant and the Servant lying on the ground, aiming down a sniper rifle in the distance.</p><p>"Lancer, prevent them from escaping."</p><p>"Sakura, tell Rider to shoot them down."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0076"><h2>76. Chapter 76</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 76</p><p>Snow. That was the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. There was no red tinge to near the edges of her vision. No voice ordering her to do something. Her body was hers to control, with the moon shining down her as the winter winds caressed her skin. Closing her eyes, she savoured the moment of freedom she had managed to obtain. There was no Avenger, only a young girl standing in the forest, enjoying her surroundings.</p><p>*shf*</p><p>She opened her eyes to turn towards the source of the noise, and her brief reprieve was over.</p><p>A red aura suffused her everything in her line of sight, her focus narrowed down until she could only see Berserker. Her heart pounded harshly, speeding up as it pumped blood across her body, raising her temperature and preparing her body for combat. Her nerves tingled, the muscles in her body quivering as they prepared to release their energy against their sole nemesis. The last lingering vestiges of her sane mind wished for another second of peace, before it was consumed by the growing haze of rage, with only a single word echoing in her mind.</p><p>Father.</p><p>Then the girl Mordred was gone, and in its place was Avenger, the resentment that never faded even with death.</p><p>The only way she would regain her sanity and peace, was if she killed her father until he was dead. People may die when they are killed, but with multiple fathers in this war, she would have to do it multiple times.</p><p>The rest passed by in a blur for Avenger, the subsequent clash with Berserker hazy and indistinct in her mind. It was only when Berserker took a massive leap to put some distance between her that the rage filling her subsided somewhat, allowing her to roar at them in frustration.</p><p>Deep in the forest, Rider slowly calibrated the aim of Morgan, the sniper rifle resting against her shoulder as she flicked through the magnifications of the scope to ascertain her target. While it was unnatural for a Rider class Servant to perform the duty of an Archer, this was simply another duty for a maid, though she was loath to perform it. Keeping her shoulder and arm rigid, while the rest of her body was relaxed, she breathed in and out, keeping a regular rhythm to let the rifle be as steady as possible. The wind didn't matter since her beam wouldn't be affected by it, and she only needed to lead the target by a small margin, considering the speed of her projectile.</p><p>"Around...here."</p><p>Settling her crosshair on an empty spot just ahead of Berserker and Ruler, she synced her breathing with her finger, then pulled the trigger.</p><p>*SHOOM*</p><p>The blue and white beam of energy blasted out of the sword/sniper rifle, the font of water concentrated until it was barely larger than the muzzle of the rifle, with it's speed vastly increased. Within seconds, the water crossed the kilometers in between and reached Berserker and Ruler, slicing through Berserker's arms and body.</p><p>"Gyah!"</p><p>Berserker faltered mid-air, her body bent over as she coughed blood, Ruler's body slipping from her grasp as her nerveless fingers lost their hold. Flipping and turning in the air, they plunged to the earth after losing their momentum, unable to control their descent.</p><p>The injuries Berserker had incurred from the fight with Avenger previously were not light, and with the wound going through her entire body and arms horizontally, she was only able to move her legs normally. Every time her torso twisted in the air, or when her arms flapped around, blood spurted out of the wounds and floated in the air as droplets of crimson, accompanying Berserker in her fall. Illya instantly spread a massive web of threads below Berserker and Ruler to cushion their fall, but she could sense Avenger getting closer and closer to them as well. It was possible that they'd die before they even landed.</p><p>"FAATTHEERRRR!"</p><p>All that the Servant could see were the two figures in the sky, gaining velocity as they fell to the earth. Red mana engulfed the earth as Avenger jumped into the air, vaporizing a crater on the forest floor as she soared into the sky towards the two.</p><p>The closer she got to them, the more her emotions crowded everything in her mind. All that was left was a beast bent on vengeance, with her instincts and skill beaten into her body with years of training and experience to guide her in combat. If it was against other non-Artoria opponents, she could actually fight normally, like her Saber counterpart. But if it was against Artoria, there could only be one conclusion.</p><p>Which was why Lancer was able to blindside her and blow her off course, sending Avenger flying into the forest as Lancer slammed into her with her charging horse, lance wrapped in black winds as Llamrei galloped into her with the force of a freight train.</p><p>Still, her heightened sense and beast-like intuition was enough to let her interpose her sword between the lance and her body, preventing serious damage from the impact. Sticking the sword into the ground to slow her slide, she glared up at Lancer and snarled, her back hunched as she spat out a broken tooth from the charge. In an instant, her aura flared out, red lightning covering the area and blasting the surrounding indiscriminately, setting the trees on fire as the bolts of energy flew around the place.</p><p>"Lancer, you are free to do as much damage to her as you wish."</p><p>With her Master giving her free reign, Lancer met Avengers challenge and charged forward into the fray.</p><p>Originally, Angra Mainyu had kept the suit on Avenger to keep her under control, with the extent of her rage and resentment to her father so strong that without a limiter in place, even the embodiment of evil was unable to control her. This was especially true in this Holy Grail War, with multiple father's taking part in almost every class. Their mana signatures were enough to make her go crazy, and even if she moved far away from them, she would still feel a burning desire to seek them out and kill them. After all, her Avenger form was the aggregation of her hatred and resentment against Artoria Pendragon. When she was next to them, like in combat, she lost her sanity and became a feral beast, only able to fight and kill.</p><p>Due to that, Angra Mainyu used the armor as a means of hiding her identity and a method of controlling her, the armor actually an element of the mud shaped and formed into the armor, though it wasn't actually the mud itself. Rather, it was a metal approximation that was close enough to allow All the World's Evils to control her and manipulate her body while clouding her thoughts, though her occasional roars still showed that Avenger still kept her focus on Artoria. In the end, the evil god was expecting to lose control of her from the start, so he had asked Kotomine to put Lancer on standby close by, to assist with taking down Ruler, but more importantly bringing down Avenger for a sufficiently long time for Angra Mainyu to regain control of her as well if she went out of control. While Avenger was certainly strong enough to kill all the Servants if left by herself, Angra Mainyu needed to take control of the Lesser Grail first in order for it to be born successfully. Having the Servants fill the Grail right now would only serve to hinder its birth. As for Ruler herself, he had other plans for her.</p><p>Lancer wondered why Rider was here, but she didn't send any more shots after the one that crippled Berserker, so she pushed it to the back of her mind and dealt with Avenger first, who was the primary objective for her. In any case, Avenger wasn't going to let her go either. Turning her back to Avenger would be suicidal.</p><p>With Avenger released from her restraints, she was growing wilder and wilder, the mana releasing off her in waves that stirred the snow, the lightning storm surrounding growing ever powerful as the arcs of electricity grew from mere branches to massive thunderbolts the width of a car.</p><p>Judging that it would eventually become impossible to defeat her if she tarried any longer, Lancer decided to immediately use her trump card. Since the enemy had a specialized Battle Continuation and a high rank of Endurance, she could cut loose on her and use all her strength, and Avenger's body wouldn't be completely disintegrated, which was enough for Angra Mainyu.</p><p>Stopping Llamrei in the air, she raised her lance until the tip was pointing at the sky, the lance spinning ever faster as it became a drill cloaked with black mana, the winds responding to it and wrapping around Lancer and the lance as it spun. Lancers pale hair floated with the wind, Llamrei's mane tossed around by the gale surrounding them. Far above them, the moon became obscured, covered by the clouds that were gathering in the sky.</p><p>"Pierce and devour-"</p><p>The lightning storm increased in intensity, Clarent glowing a brilliant red as more and more mana was funneled into the sword, the trees in a 100 meter radius around Avenger all blown to the pieces by the immense blast of lightning which easily blasted through multiple tree trunks at once, setting fire to many trees further than 100 meters away as the flames whipped furiously from the wind stirred by Rhongomyniad.</p><p>"ORRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"</p><p>Avenger continued pouring all the energy supplied to her from the Grail, mustering every last drop she could spare even with Angra Manyu cutting the connection, the energy reservoir she possessed so vast that she could easily generate enough to blow away the whole forest, and then some. At this point, one could say that a new star was glowing in the forest with how bright it was. Even with the distance Illya was at, she could still see the brilliant crimson glow in the distant horizon with the streaks of lightning, like the sun was going to rise.</p><p>"The thirteen fangs!"</p><p>Enough mana had gathered around her lance to form what looked like a pitch black tower stretching from the base of her lance and far into the clouds, the top of the tower lost in sight among the steel gray clouds, stretching further than mortal eyes could comprehend. Purple and red streaks wreathed the tower, providing spirals that outlined the tower, wrapping it in such a way that it was like the candy canes of Christmas.</p><p>The mana reached a boiling point, the entire spot a painfully blinding white, no longer even red anymore. Anybody looking at where Avenger was at was sure to be blinded, the area around her no longer even observable from the light that was emitted by the glowing sword which was completely suffused with mana. Without even crying out the name of her Noble Phantasm, the sword was swung.</p><p>"FATHER!"</p><p>Lancer responded in kind, lowering her lance and finally cracking the reins of the restless Llamrei, the horse neighing and then charging downwards as Lancer swung the entire tower downwards at the blinding red beam surging up to meet her.</p><p>"RHONGOMYNIAD!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0077"><h2>77. Chapter 77</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 77</p><p>The tower drilled into the unfocused mass of mana that was fired at Lancer, the mana and winds spinning through the energy to go straight towards Avenger at the epicenter. The night sky lit up brightly as the mana blasted haphazardly in every direction, destroying the decades old trees that had watched over the land. From a distance, it looked like a massive glowing cloud with a red outline rapidly expanding, consuming the earth and firing out thunderbolts all the while. If one looked from the viewpoint of Avenger, all they would see was white, a blinding white that would sear the retinas of any normal human being.</p><p>In the midst of the massive explosion of energy that was continuously released by Avenger, Lancer continued to advance, her horse pushing forward with every ounce of his strength as the hooves beat against the air, each stride pushing Lancer forward, the tip of Rhongomyniad closer to Avenger. The lightning of the King of Storms crackled around her, warding off any thunderbolts from Avenger that sought to strike her. The wind that shouldn't have any color was tinted dull purple with hints of red, pushing her forwards as it blasted behind her in a vortex, propelling them downwards like a jet engine.</p><p>Avenger howled as the flux of energy continuously released from Clarent, instinctively increasing the energy released from it, but she was starting to run dry. With the connection to the Grail cut, and outputting such a massive amount of energy on par with a Noble Phantasm, no matter how large her reservoir of mana was, she couldn't sustain it for long. Gradually, the cloud of energy shrank in size, the red particles streaming off the blade reducing in number. Sensing her enemy weakening, Lancer charged forward and seized her opportunity.</p><p>The tower blasted through the red, Lancer's spurs digging into Llamrei's flanks, the wind cyclone around the lance boring through the stream of energy straight towards Avenger. In response, Avenger suddenly cut the blast of mana and redirected all the energy flowing to her sword into her legs, creating a massive mana burst to send her flying away from Lancer and the area she would strike at. Lancer wasn't one to yell, even in battle, unless it was absolutely necessary, but they just needed one last push to catch up to Avenger before she escaped. It was a crucial seconds difference, a second before she blasted out of range, or second early where she could fully strike down Avenger.</p><p>"CHARGE!"</p><p>Sensing his Master's urgency, Llamrei's speed redoubled, Charisma affecting even her steed to the extent that increased its performance to the point that it was literally tearing apart it's muscles. Every single muscle in it's legs bulged up, rapidly expanding and contracting, from the brachial muscle to the extensors. Lancer gripped the reins tightly and steadied her arm, her body going up and down with Llamrei's body in perfect harmony, her Riding skill drawing out their speed to the maximum by syncing with Llamrei's body to achieve the goal of having the steed and rider become one.</p><p>Avenger bent her knees while throwing her sword in at Lancer in a desperate attempt to distract her, the sword coated in lightning and mana to allow it to pierce the cowl of raging winds around the lance that protected Lancer from the front.</p><p>*Shing!*</p><p>The spinning sword cut through the air, Avenger's incredible strength unable to keep the sword on its course as it slammed into the mass of wind, mana and corrosive energy bearing down on her, the sword immediately deflected and sent flying far away from them, though it managed to stay intact even from the force of impact with the Noble Phantasm.</p><p>But even while the sword was slicing through the air towards Lancer, Avenger was already prepared to leap away with her Mana Burst fully charged. Bent legs stretched, fully extending as the Mana Burst further reinforced the explosive power of her muscles, energy pouring from her legs into the ground as she pushed against it. The laws of force created an opposing reaction, Avenger's entire body leaving the ground as it broke free from gravity.</p><p>*DZOOM*</p><p>With Avenger frozen in the air barely 2 meters away from her original position, Lancer smashed into the ground and dug out a massive crater in an instant, the vortex of wind and mana carving through the dirt and stone in seconds. The entire area the size of a football stadium was swamped in the corrosive energy wrapped around the lance. Avenger's body was swallowed in the purple blast that expanded from the point of impact, a globe of energy with colored winds lashing out at the edges, covering a large swath of the forest. Far off in the distance, the manor shook from the blow, the lights winking in and out. Close by, Berserker and Ruler were thrown off their feet from the shockwave reaching them.</p><p>When the explosion subsided, all that was left was Avenger's body slowly sliding into a shallow pit of purple liquid that corroded the edges of the pit, eating away at Avenger's flesh as she sank into it. Standing on the edge of the pit, her horse gone due to the muscles in his body torn to shreds from overcharging earlier, Lancer stared down at the Extra class Servant.</p><p>"Fathe…"</p><p>Reaching out a hand towards Lancer, Avenger leaned forward, trying to escape the acidic gunk to reach Lancer. Lancer only stared back at her impassively, her face guarded behind her helm.</p><p>Then Rhongomyniad flew up to protect her from the Clarent that suddenly appeared right in front of her.</p><p>*CCNG*</p><p>The lance barely managed to block the thrown sword, the blade cutting slightly into the right side of Lancer's neck, before it hurtled on its path behind her. Blood dripped down the shallow cut on her neck, staining one side of her shoulder red.</p><p>Faster than Lancer could react, Avenger jumped right in front of her. She had managed to dematerialize Clarent, then resummon it into her left hand while her other hand reached out towards Lancer in a show of weakness. The liquid covering her left hand hid the resummoned sword, allowing her to suddenly throw it at Lancer, and then she used both hands to push off the ground, flinging her body at Lancer despite her having lost both legs.</p><p>"DDDIEEEEEE!"</p><p>Her legs ended in bloody stumps, blasted away by Rhongomyniad. Purple slime dripped off of her entire body, sizzling away at her flesh where they still clung. Her body was littered with numerous cuts and wounds, the wind slicing into her flesh sharper than any knife. Even her hands were half gone, the bone exposed as her flesh was melted from the corrosive acid from being submerged in the pit in the impact crater just now.</p><p>Yet, the fire in her eyes never died.</p><p>Lancer inadvertently took a step back, her body reacting automatically to the threat Avenger posed to her. So long as Avenger drew breath, no Artoria would live in peace.</p><p>*WUK*</p><p>*Schlck*</p><p>A veiny, muscular hand chopped on the back of Avenger's neck, precisely targeting the clump of nerves located there. Avenger dropped like a sack from the force of the blow, having lost consciousness from it. Afterwards, a bucket of mud was immediately poured onto her, the noxious liquid flowing onto the Servant and reestablishing the link between her and Angra Mainyu. Avenger sank into the mud, sent back into the cavern housing the Holy Grail.</p><p>"The hatred that drives her is indeed strong."</p><p>Kirei mused as he stared at the spot where Avenger used to be.</p><p>Then he turned to Lancer.</p><p>"Let us return. Our work here is done."</p><p>They walked off, Kirei carrying the bucket specialized for carrying hazardous materials, left over from his days as an Executor.</p><p>"If Avenger achieves her goal, will she be able to attain peace? Or will her rage never fade?"</p>
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<a name="section0078"><h2>78. Chapter 78</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 78</p><p>Berserker's eyes fluttered open, amber eyes gazing up at the moon. The dirt scuffed against her palm when she pushed herself up, sitting on the ground instead of lying on it. Blinking several times, she finally recalled what had happened.</p><p>The tree trunk she had crashed into was slightly cracked, fissures running through the dark wood. Gingerly, she touched her shoulder blades, hissing when her fingers stimulated the bruise, eliciting a shock of stinging pain. She could also feel a dull aching in her arms. The sensation of warm blood licking her skin tickled slightly, and she could see the seams of the sewn wounds with Illya's Mystic Code were undone in several places. It also hurt to breathe, each breath rattling in her throat and chest. The gouge across her torso from Rider's shot was aggravated with each breath, the white threads barely keeping the flesh together.</p><p>Bringing her knees close to her body in a fetal position, she leaned forward, letting her weight go from resting on the back of her ankles to her toes, then she stood up. Using her arms right now would most likely result in her falling down again.</p><p>At least Illya was safe though. She could feel the mana from her Master knitting her ruined body back together, and Illya's emotions were quite obvious through the mental link.</p><p>"Ecchan, are you alright?"</p><p>Illya's voice came through in her head, having sensed her Servant was awake.</p><p>"I'm fine. Just a few holes and cuts, nothing much."</p><p>"A few holes?"</p><p>Still, it seemed like Berserker's condition wasn't too bad, judging from her tone.</p><p>"What about Ruler?"</p><p>Berserker surveyed her surroundings, looking around to spot the bunny eared Servant. All she saw was gnarled, twisted trees, snow and dirt.</p><p>"She doesn't seem to be near me. Perhaps the shockwave from Lancer's Noble Phantasm flung us in different directions."</p><p>Illya digested it, then gave her orders.</p><p>"Look for Ruler. If she's in critical condition, carry her back to the castle for her to recover. Avenger's signature has disappeared, and Lancer is leaving the forest for the city, so you should be safe."</p><p>"Understood."</p><p>Berserker brushed the leaves and dirt off herself, then started running through the forest, eyes darting around in search of Ruler. Even with an injured body, she was able to move faster than a pro cyclist on a bike.</p><p>*splch*</p><p>*shllooook*</p><p>*Slich, slchhhh*</p><p>Ruler's glassy eyes stared blankly at the thick tree roots beside her.</p><p>*busubusu*</p><p>*nuru*</p><p>Her neck twitched involuntarily, the product of her nerves being triggered.</p><p>The old man standing next to her body stared at her intently, abnormal black sclera and white pupils looking down unblinkingly. His skin was stretched tightly across his skull, his wrinkled hands wrapped around the top of a wooden cane.</p><p>"...nnnhhnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn…"</p><p>It didn't sound like she was trying to say anything. Rather, it was just a monotone hum, the buzzing of a fan in a computer. Ruler's elegant face never changed it's expression, locked in a vacant look.</p><p>The splayed limbs twitched.</p><p>The old man continued staring.</p><p>Like a spider propping itself up, Ruler's legs and hands rose up in odd angles, her body forming an X on the ground. Her torn leggings and bodysuit exposed her pale flesh, a lone breast open to the air with the top covering it torn off. Crooked, drooping bunny ears fell into her eyes, but she made no attempt to to fix them. All around her body, dirt and snow covered it, blood and dirt matting her luxurious golden hair, scattered messily around her head.</p><p>"Stand."</p><p>She stood.</p><p>Dirt and snow fell off her body. One bunny ear was completely bent, covering one eye. Yet, she was able to stand straight, with only a slight tilt to her neck.</p><p>*drip, drip*</p><p>*plap*</p><p>A worm dropped onto the ground.</p><p>"eeEEEEeee-"</p><p>It crawled off into the undergrowth, between the dark spaces of the roots in the trees.</p><p>Ruler didn't react in the slightest, standing there silently, as still as a corpse.</p><p>"I must thank Avenger for this boon. Kohkohkoh, it seems that I have a Servant now, and a Ruler class one at that."</p><p>A leer split his face, warping it and creating more wrinkles in the wrinkles already there. Shadows stretched across, lengthening from the ridges and crevasses in his skin.</p><p>*tmp, tmp*</p><p>The cane tapped against the roots of the tree twice.</p><p>His body dissolved into a shower of worms, each one squirming until it could crawl off inside the dirt, between the roots and away from the surface.</p><p>Ruler bunched her legs together, and jumped.</p><p>Far off, Berserker spotted the dot zooming high into the starry skies, a black mark heading towards Fuyuki.</p><p>"Master, I've found her, but she seems to be leaving."</p><p>Illya frowned, furrowing her eyebrows as she concentrated on sensing through the Bounded Fields. Just like Berserker said, there was indeed something moving away to the east, but it was somewhat unlike Ruler's signature from before.</p><p>"...Let her leave Ecchan. Come back and get healed up first."</p><p>If Ruler needed to leave, she wouldn't stop her. Her priority was making sure her Servant didn't die. She had no idea why Lancer and Rider had left so suddenly, but if they returned, she wanted Berserker in as good of condition as possible.</p><p>"I'll come back then Illya."</p><p>Berserker tracked the black dot as it vanished over the hills in the distance, then made her way back to the mansion, through the levelled forest and massive crater.</p>
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<a name="section0079"><h2>79. Chapter 79</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 79</p><p>"Let the your od naturally flow through the Circuits. If you're forcing them, you're doing it wrong."</p><p>Caster sat next to Shirou, two hands on his back as she monitored his progress in using his newly opened Magic Circuits.</p><p>Teaching someone who was an absolute amateur at magecraft was challenging, after a long lecture involving the basics of magecraft, it was somewhat easier. After querying him about the magecraft he used and confirming his method of creating artificial Nerve Circuits with him, she proceeded to explain things that most magi knew about since childhood, like Magic Crests, mana, od and formal craft.</p><p>Through her lecture, Shirou was able to understand that he lacked the talent and ability to perform most types of magecraft, and instead could focus on learning and using formal craft as his main method of performing magecraft. Formal craft was an almost scientific way of magic established since King Solomon founded the basis of magecraft, and there were even examples that existed before that. To put it simply, it was the usage of rituals and offerings to harness an outside power to perform great acts of magic, in place of the mage's own paltry energy source. However, this process generally required a sacrifice, and depending on the scale of the magecraft, it could be exceedingly heavy.</p><p>Unfortunately, the various rituals categorized as formalcraft were all too complicated for Shirou to learn right away, even the most basic ones, so she was forced to teach him what he already knew and could do. In other words, magecraft that relied on his own od, drawing power from the energy within him. To do that though, she first had to activate his own natural Magic Circuits in his body.</p><p>"Hmmmm…"</p><p>Merlin hadn't really taught her anything about this kind of stuff. She had just naturally had the ability to use her Magic Core when she was born, a gift of her heritage from Uther Pendragon with the blood of the Red Dragon flowing in her veins. After it was certain that she could wield magic, there was never any tutoring regarding how to activate the source of energy, Magic Circuits, from Merlin. He did mention several methods to mess around with them or interfere with their workings though.</p><p>"The soul...linking souls to block or replace them...false Circuit implantation...forcing foreign energy through them... ah, that'll probably work."</p><p>She came to a conclusion while Shirou sat there waiting, and laid her hands on his bare back, closing her eyes to focus her Magic Core.</p><p>"This might hurt a bit, so please bear with it."</p><p>"Hm-"</p><p>He felt the spit in his mouth slide down his throat as he involuntarily swallowed it. A burning sensation spread through his body, starting from the core to the tips of his fingers and toes. A strange numbness accompanied it, settling in his four limbs. Pain pushed up the back off his spine, distracting his mind until it was all he could think of. If was standing, he would probably have collapsed on the spot without some sheer will. It was just like when he failed in making a Nerve Circuit.</p><p>Forcing his mind to stay alert, he managed to not pass out. Behind him, Caster started her explanation.</p><p>"Since you already have Magic Circuits in your body from what I detected earlier, all we need to do is activate them. Unfortunately, your body can't recognize them from the years of you using the wrong method to perform magecraft, so we'll have to make your body identify their existence and switch to using them instead of creating one from scratch. It'll be like flipping a switch for magical energy to flow in your body, instead of having to build a switch every time. Except the switch is rusted and stuck from disuse, so we'll have to force it open. I'm doing this right now by pouring as much magical energy as I can into them, which should be enough to jumpstart them. Please don't lose consciousness, or else the energy transfer might go wrong." She needed Shirou to be in sync with her, and if he fainted she would have to start over when he woke up.</p><p>"Nghr, o-ok."</p><p>He managed to force those words out, breathing in and out like she instructed him to do. It was over after half a minute of agony, Caster's hands retracting from his back as she observed his condition.</p><p>The numbness retreated from his body, but the burning sensation remained.</p><p>"The energy I inserted into you just now should be cycling inside your Magic Circuits right now, keeping them open until you can trigger them yourself. When you can turn the switch on and off, you will be able to start functioning as a normal magus."</p><p>She paused, watching the sweat roll on his back and drip on the tatami mats.</p><p>"Though that might take some time to do."</p><p>Shirou bent forward as he gritted his teeth, his hands clenched in fists beside him on the floor.</p><p>"So...what do...I do now?"</p><p>"I think...you just have to get used to it until you're able to turn off the switch. I mean, you'll have to get used to the sensation of your Magic Circuits being on all the time, since that's what you'll have to do if you're using magecraft, whether in research or in combat. When your body gets used to it, it'll be able to switch it off in order to return to a more comfortable, natural state, and after that you'll be able to toggle the switch naturally."</p><p>She was going off based on guesswork and what Merlin mentioned, but it was close to the truth. In addition, he had never experienced having his Circuit on all the time, since he immediately shut off his Nerve Circuit after using them. She wanted to help alleviate the pain, but most magi were able to keep their Circuits open for long periods of time, so he would just have to get used to the sensation.</p><p>Still, she could help in other ways. She draped a cold, soaked towel on his back to cool down his body as he endured the imaginary flames eating at his body. After the towel became lukewarm, she took out another one from the basin filled with ice and water and replaced it, putting the towel in a basket for washing.</p><p>Outside the room, Saber knelt seiza style in one of the rooms reserved for meditation. Kuzuki meditated beside her, having extended the offer to teach her earlier after she expressed curiosity regarding the practice in the temple. There was little noise, their breathing the only sound. Their bodies didn't shift or twitch, locked in position like they were frozen in time.</p><p>An hour later, Shirou finally wrestled the pain into submission, the burning dying down it was merely a dull sickness in his body.</p><p>"I feel fine now. It hasn't completely gone away, but it just feels like I'm running a mild fever now."</p><p>Caster was mildly surprised he had already grasped after such a short time, but perhaps it was to be expected of someone who had endured the pain of turning his nerves into Magic Circuits.</p><p>"Really? Then try reinforcing these cups."</p><p>Caster put forward a tray of ceramic cups in front of him, the cups rattling on the metal tray.</p><p>Shirou took one and focused, pushing his hazy mind to apply what he had learned about strengthening and reinforcement to the fragile ceramic. Bluish lines in grid like patterns lit up on his hands and covered the cup, like luminous lines of paint decorating the outsides.</p><p>*Ching*</p><p>The cup broke spectacularly, showering the floor in brown and white shards.</p><p>"Try again."</p><p>Caster said by him, unmoved by the failure. Picking up another of the cups, Shirou did as she said.</p><p>Twenty cups later, Shirou stared down at the mountain of shards piled at his feet, his cheeks slightly red.</p><p>"As I thought, you're as bad as they get."</p><p>Caster's blunt opinion didn't help things either. She still had some hope after the fifth cup, but by the twelfth failure she could already predict how the rest would go. He was simply a magus with no ability at all. Well, maybe it was because he couldn't properly control his Magic Circuits.</p><p>"We'll continue tomorrow then, since you can't do anything in this state. Once your body has adjusted, you should be able to do this more easily." As in, succeed at least once.</p><p>"...I'm sorry."</p><p>He tried to grab the tray of shards and stand up, but his body wobbled before he could even get a firm grasp on the tray. Caster gently pried his hands off it and lent her shoulder to stand up.</p><p>"You'll get better as time passes. Though honestly, it will never be at the same level as even an average magus. However, the more you know, the higher chances of survival are, even if it's just by an infinitesimal amount."</p><p>Her words didn't do much to console him, but he was glad that at least he wasn't going to be completely useless.</p><p>"You can also ask Saber or Kuzuki to train you physically."</p><p>Sensing his thoughts about his failure, she thought that perhaps he could also improve himself physically.</p><p>"Ah, I'll try to ask them later."</p><p>Caster nodded, then supported him with one hand while holding the tray with the other, balancing the two as they left the room.</p><p>"For now, let's get some rest first."</p><p>All she could do was teach him as much as she knew, and hope he could make use of it in the future.</p>
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<a name="section0080"><h2>80. Chapter 80</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 80</p><p>The Matou house stood in the night silently, the grey slatted roof dully glowing under the moonlight. The gardens were neatly trimmed, the vines all torn down by a maid, but not a trace of a single animal or insect could be spotted. No light could be seen from any of the windows, the glass panes reflecting the yellow rays from streetlights. Within the living room, a long girl in a white dress and a plain pink jacket sat on the sofa, staring down at the floor as the shadow of the window panes stretched across it.</p><p>Without looking, Sakura could tell that Rider had returned home. Materializing behind her, Rider stepped towards the sofa she sat on.</p><p>"Mas-" Rider tried to lay a hand on her shoulder, but it was smacked away by Sakura.</p><p>"Don't touch me."</p><p>Sakura's shoulders trembled, her voice flat, barely a whisper, though Rider could hear it just fine.</p><p>"I'm...I'm dirty. Unclean."</p><p>A hollow voice, devoid of any emotion drifted out of Sakura's lips. It was completely different from the gentle voice she used when speaking with her Senpai. Her hands tightened around the fabric of her dress, bunching up the white linen.</p><p>Rider didn't answer her. Instead she waited. The grandfather clock in the room ticked away, the bronze hands spinning uniformly.</p><p>"I thought that I was...free. When you came and drove out grandfather, it was amazing."</p><p>"Everyday, from my childhood, spent in that dark, foul-smelling pit. Every night, quivering in the darkness while worms entered and exited my body."</p><p>Hundreds, thousands of worms. Each and every single one of them was repulsive and disgusting in the worst ways.</p><p>Trails of slime over her naked body, the slime quickly replaced by more worms that swarmed over her white skin. Feeler's drifting across her chin, cold scales swiping past her ear. Strands of her hair were caught in between the multitudes of crawling legs, plucked clean of her scalp. Despite the numerous creatures brushing against the soles of her feet, her stomach and armpits, she didn't feel ticklish at all.</p><p>Sometimes, green light lit up the chamber, a luminous glow like fluorescent seaweed below the sea of insects. The light didn't dissuade the worms from squeezing their way through her vagina, into her womb, into her ███████. Energy, disappeared. The worms fed on it incessantly, outside the pit, in the showers, at school, on the bus, while buying groceries, at the archery range, at her senpai's house cooking… In the end, nothing was left, the ravenous hunger the worms possessed unfulfilled, an endless greed needing even more to be sated. A period of rest, less than a day was given, before it's cries for feeding started once again.</p><p>Eleven years. Eleven long years, every night spent at a basement under the watchful eyes of a wizened old ma-no, monster. They were no longer just worms, but part of her body now, turning into nerves entangled with her body. A cluster of Magic Circuits that could move, violating her humanity. Her hair, eyes and every cell was different, changed. After all these years, she was a Matou, not a Tohsaka any more. The only thing left was the red ribbon she kept tied to her hair at all times, the only times it was taken off being when she showered or slept.</p><p>After the constant, extensive process of torture of the Matou "tutelage", she could barely cast magecraft, her talent was corrupted and wasted away, clipping her wings before she could even fly. At best, all she could do was use one or two basic spells of the Matou absorption magecraft, ugly spells of stealing from others, feeding on their pain.</p><p>"Why-why can't I be saved?"</p><p>This question echoed in her mind, her being pushed ever closer to the brink of death, a permanent rest.</p><p>Until she saw the boy, knocking down the pole again and again, yet tirelessly trying until he was forced to leave by the teachers.</p><p>When she entered his house, she no longer felt the phantom slithering of the worms.</p><p>From then on, she started walking on the slow process of being "saved", the boy watching over her every step of the way. In the process, more joined her along the path, a vigorous tiger and a patient captain teaching her new things, becoming her guides in various ways.</p><p>But every night as she laid on the bed, with Shinji fucking her like an animal, she wondered if she would ever be truly free.</p><p>Then the Fifth Holy Grail War came around, and she performed her duty like her grandfather had expected of her. What he never saw coming though, was the appearance of a maid being summoned.</p><p>"Servant, Rider. Now that I'm here, be ready to live the ideal lifestyle. I won't allow sleeping in or insufficient exercise. The cleaning and laundry will be done thoroughly by me. Cooking, cooking as well…I'll do it the best I can."</p><p>From the moment she spoke, she was in awe of her. Just listening to her made her spirits lift a little, even though she wasn't saying anything inspiring at all. She would later learn of the effect of Charisma, or Summer Sweeper in her case. A composite skill of Prana Burst and Charisma adapted for a maid in summer.</p><p>Her amazement reached new heights when Rider completely flushed the basement clean, destroying every single bug that was unlucky enough to be caught in the furious flood of water that seeped into every crack, smashing the bugs flat with the pressure, the currents within the water hurling the bags through the water into the walls and turning them into paste. By the end of it all, the water was stained a muddy brown with numerous black specks, the insects' innards and shells saturating it to the brim.</p><p>Afterwards, she had gone on to clean the entire mansion with unspeakable methods that Sakura and Shinji were unable to witness while staying at Shirou's house. The neighbours several blocks away woke up from the disturbance, and several police cars visited the household, but they were quickly convinced by the maid that nothing was wrong. The maid also wondered why they left in such a hurry, and why they couldn't look at her directly. Was there something weird about her? Taking a look at herself, she could only see the uniform of a maid.</p><p>"Damn, to think that there was such a hardcore fetishist living in there. The maid cosplay sure was incredible."</p><p>"We got to see something good today. Hopefully they'll keep the noise down after the warning though. They're certainly quite enthusiastic to be able to be heard by the neighbours and get complaints."</p><p>The two grinning cops drove away, reminiscing about the goddess they had just met.</p><p>When Sakura and Shinji had returned, the feel of the entire house was different. The foreboding she felt whenever she stepped past the threshold was no longer there. The rotting smell that came from the certain parts of the house had disappeared. There were no more strange sounds coming from the walls, the skittering and screeching of something from the ceiling, small bodies lurking behind the plaster. It was all gone.</p><p>For the first time in her life, he wasn't there. Her grandfather was finally gone. The shadow that had always stood behind her, was washed away.</p><p>At first, she couldn't believe it. She expected her grandfather to show up at any moment, standing on the stairs, waiting for her in the ruined basement, calling her name outside her door. But he never appeared, and her heart felt lighter and lighter with each passing day.</p><p>To make things better, even Shinji changed. Day and night, he was coached by Rider, her Saint Graph compelling her to physically train him until he either broke or succeeded. With how her training went, he was on the floor every night, his entire body soaked in sweat, and sometimes blood or dirt, depending on the type of training she gave. He could barely even roll around to face the sky or turn his face from the ground breathe, let alone rape Sakura. Sakura wasn't just going to leave him lying on the ground like that though. It was up to her to drag him into the showers and bathe him. In a way, she enjoyed taking care of him like that. He couldn't offer any resistance in his state, and showering him like one would with a baby was actually kind of nice. Rider also chipped in advice on how to wash him and dry him, as well as dressing and the like. She was a maid after all, and did have some knowledge regarding these things.</p><p>Rider also trained Sakura, but only lightly trained her physically when compared with Shinji. Instead, her Coaching skill went towards teaching her "100 must-learn maid techniques and more", in her own cleaning, to lawn mowing, to laundry, everything that Rider knew was taught to Sakura. Although she already knew how to do these, it was somewhat, refreshing, to see new methods of doing these chores. It was also a bit worrying though when she saw some of the things Rider did in the name of efficiency.</p><p>Like that, a week passed, her life progressing in a direction she could never have imagined, even in her wildest dreams. Her brother working out everyday, a sister-like figure accompanying her at home, and being able to visit her Senpai as well. It was a blissful week. Even Rider messing up at cooking and forcing her to step in was fun as well, though she was slightly frustrated from seeing so many ingredients wasted.</p><p>Then one day, her heart twisted.</p><p>Her blood raced as her pupils widened, a rosy patch appearing on her white cheeks as she clutched the kitchen counter nearby for balance.</p><p>"Master?!"</p><p>Rider rushed forward to support her, leaving Shinji outside to lift the absurdly large weights chained to cars.</p><p>"Ri-rider, I'm fine. I just need to rest."</p><p>Through the haze covering her thoughts, she already knew what this was. Already, she could feel them squirming in her body, igniting the flame of passion that she had tried so desperately to quench every night with her fingers.</p><p>Why are they activating now? They should stay dormant after I've satisfied them last night, it can't be that fast…</p><p>She was soon answered by the appearance of her grandfather.</p><p>"Sakura, I trust you haven't forgotten about me in my absence?"</p><p>The old man smiled, a revolting expression that peeled the skin over his teeth.</p><p>"You still have to fulfill your role in the Holy Grail War. Remember who you belong to. If you forget, then who knows what could happen"</p><p>With that, he vanished into a shower of worms and gravelly laughter.</p><p>"Khhh…"</p><p>With Rider's help, she returned back to her room to rest and deal with the problem.</p><p>After that, she no longer felt safe anymore. The cloud over her head returned with doubled force, and she started actively participating in the war.</p><p>"I thought, I could be free, to live with Senpai, Rider, Shinji and Taiga together happily. Even though it was just for a week, I was happy."</p><p>*sniff*</p><p>The knife in her hands fell to the floor as she released it, curling up into a ball on the sofa.</p><p>"Hnnngg...it's useless...sniff"</p><p>I can't be saved.</p><p>After awkwardly standing there for a few minutes while listening to her sobs, Rider could only step forward and wrap her arms around her shoulders in a rare gesture of physical affection, the first time she had done so since being summoned. Even as an Alter, she recognized what she should do in this situation.</p><p>The two spent the next hour there in silence until Sakura fell asleep, with Rider carrying her to her bed, watching over her silently as she slept.</p>
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<a name="section0081"><h2>81. Chapter 81</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 81</p><p>It was the second day of him cooking in the Ryuudou temple's kitchen. Already, he was starting to miss Sakura's presence besides him, something he had gotten used to over the past few years, but it couldn't be helped. He didn't want her to get involved with the Holy Grail War, and asking her to come all the way to Mount Enzo was troublesome.</p><p>Ah, thinking about it, Caster had mentioned the Matou's being one of the three founding families behind the Holy Grail War, but he just couldn't see Sakura as a magus. Besides, if she was, he would've found out a long time ago.</p><p>Still, the kitchen wasn't that bad. While he wasn't completely familiar with the placement of the cooking ware and appliances, the ingredients they had stocked up weren't all that different from what he usually used at home in his own kitchen. The vegetables, plants and soy products were mostly similar to what he used, such as naga-imo (mountain yam) and daikon (radish). It was just that the meal lacked meat or pungent herbs and vegetables like garlic and onions. He had also managed to grasp the basic layout of the kitchen yesterday, so he wasn't just fumbling around looking for everything he needed, which he spent half an hour doing yesterday morning.</p><p>Getting permission from the monks wasn't too hard either. They were quite accommodating of him, and when Souichirou-sensei vouched for him, any doubts they might have had were quelled. He was also acquainted with Issei's father, so that helped too, though it seemed that his father was away for now.</p><p>"Why do you want to cook?"</p><p>Souichirou-sensei had asked him after he secured permission from the monks.</p><p>"Well, it's something of a hobby of mine, and it calms me down. Even though it's not like I absolutely can't not cook, I'd rather be able to do it than not. It's something like that."</p><p>It was hard to express, and Souichirou-sensei's face didn't reveal anything, so he hoped he understood.</p><p>"Thanks for helping me though, sensei." Giving a slight bow, Shirou tried to express his gratitude.</p><p>"There's no need to bow. We are equals as Masters, so you just treat me as one outside of school. It's healthy for a teenager like you to have hobbies, especially under these conditions. If you can't stay calm, you might slip up and die."</p><p>Despite his ominous words, Shirou could still sense the goodwill in his reply.</p><p>They had returned to their own rooms after that brief exchange, but Shirou was pleasantly surprised to know that Kuzuki wasn't like how he'd expected him to be.</p><p>At school, he had heard of the various rumors surrounding Kuzuki, and had personally experienced some incidents as well. Small missteps in homework, deviant behaviour in class, even mistakes by teachers were not overlooked by him, with every problem that arose instantly snuffed out when it received his attention. Homework was harshly graded, classes were strict, and he would meticulously go over the test and exam papers to spot any possible errors. He also provided assistance to the school student council regarding matters such as the school club budget allocation, and was the disciplinary head in the school, a well-known title in Homuhara Academy. One lesson of his Ethics class was enough to see what kind of person he was.</p><p>Despite that, he was also highly respected by many students and staff alike. He had helped resolve many misunderstandings between teachers and students or students and students, serving as an impartial mediator for them. This was especially true of Taiga, infamous for her wild antics as a teacher. Many students had been bailed out by him after Taiga misheard them calling her the forbidden word.</p><p>Even outside of school, he was respected by the temple's monks as a man who was unmoved by worldly desires, a solid core existing beneath his skin. Though this was mainly due to their mistaken impression of his hollowness born from a wretched past. The chief priest however, Issei's father, could see that he was different. Empty, for a lack of a better word. But he still liked him, and offered him a room at Ryuudou Temple, when he was looking for a place to stay at.</p><p>Shirou had also heard Neko, or Hotaruzuka Otoko, the daughter of the owner at Copenhagen, the liquor store he worked at, mention him once.</p><p>"Hey Emiyan, I got saved by a scary guy today!"</p><p>"Eh?"</p><p>He paused in his mopping, looking at Otoko wiping the glasses behind the counter.</p><p>"I got cornered by some punks in an alley today while I was out buying some of the alcohol we ran out of earlier, but then this tall, lean guy with glasses and a hardass face showed behind them and made them scram."</p><p>"So you're fine?"</p><p>"Yeah, I'm good, don't worry Emiyan. Anyways, that guy just left after saying he didn't do much. Like, he just stood there, menacingly, frightened them off, and then left after escorting me out of the alley."</p><p>"I managed to get his name though. Something like, So-souikoro, Kuchiki?"</p><p>"Souichirou Kuzuki?"</p><p>He was the guy Neko was talking about?</p><p>"Ah yeah, that's right! That's his name! Do you know that guy?"</p><p>"He's a teacher from my school."</p><p>"Seriously? Then help me deliver a bottle of spirits to him as thanks!"</p><p>As a result, he was forced to give him a bottle of sake the next day. Naturally, it was awkward for him, even though he had already managed to arrange a time and place where nobody else would see, but it was still embarrassing. Neko was very insistent though, and he couldn't refuse his help to her. Kuzuki had just taken the bottle, nodded in thanks and left, so it wasn't as bad as he'd expected it to be.</p><p>He was glad for the fact that while Kuzuki was strict with himself and others, he was also reliable in many ways. In particular, he had saved him and Saber in their battle against Berserker, risking his own life to escort Emiya safely to Caster. Even if Shirou himself received the same enchantments from Caster, he doubted he could have done the same.</p><p>"I need to get stronger...maybe I can ask him to teach me?"</p><p>The words of Caster from last night came to him.</p><p>"You can also ask Saber or Kuzuki to train you physically."</p><p>That was true. While it wasn't like he could turn into a master of magecraft or martial arts overnight, he could at least survive a second or two longer, or contribute just a little more to their fights.</p><p>"I'll ask them when they come for breakfast later."</p><p>He stirred the soup, lost in his thoughts as he cooked with the monks in training in charge of cooking beside him.</p>
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<a name="section0082"><h2>82. Chapter 82</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 82</p><p>Saber woke up to the sound of someone knocking on the door. The sunlight streamed through the shoji screen doors, illuminating the shadow of the figure standing in front of them.</p><p>"Saber, are you awake yet?"</p><p>Caster's voice burrowed into her mind through the walls of sleepiness, snapping her mind to an alert state in seconds. Sitting upright on the futon, she blinked twice, gathering her thoughts, then stood up to answer the door.</p><p>"Good Morning, Caster. What is it?"</p><p>Caster gestured towards the meditation room that doubled as a dining hall.</p><p>"Good Morning Saber. Emiya-san told me to wake you up for breakfast."</p><p>"I see. You have my thanks."</p><p>Saber folded the futons and put them away, then followed Caster to the dining hall. After walking in silence for a while, Caster suddenly asked her.</p><p>"How was your world like?"</p><p>"Hm? My world?"</p><p>Caster nodded.</p><p>"The timeline you came from. After all, even though we're the same person, we also came from different universes. The only thing that connects us is the Throne of Heroes, and the fact that we were summoned into this war together. If you don't mind, I'd like to learn about you and your history."</p><p>After discovering that almost all the Servants in the war were Artorias, she was curious about what made them into the Servants they were today, allowing them to qualify for a myriad of classes that shouldn't even be compatible. Some were obviously from very different parallel universes, such as Berserker and Assassin, who wielded weapons far from the norm of what they could comprehend. Others however, were closer to each other, yet still so different. Rider was also a special case, since she wore and used modern clothes and tools, but Saber could tell her roots were not so different from herself. Her appearance and weapons were most likely simply the result of her summoning and class, instead of her history and legend.</p><p>It probably wouldn't hurt to tell Caster about herself, and besides she was also curious about Caster as well.</p><p>"I was born as the daughter of Uther Pendragon, King of Britain, and Igraine, the wife of the Duke of Cornwall. Immediately after being born, I was placed under the care of Merlin, and the wizard let Sir Ector raise me as a foster son."</p><p>"Hoh, so it's like that huh."</p><p>Caster's noncommittal response made Saber wonder if she was saying that she was the same, or if their origins were different. She'd know later when she asked Caster about her own.</p><p>"I grew up with Sir Ector as my father, and Kay as my brother. The days before I became a king were-peaceful, I suppose."</p><p>Despite being the king who showed no emotions, she couldn't hide the small smile that crept on her lips when she remembered the days spent under her father and her brother.</p><p>She had constantly trained since birth, swinging a weighted wooden practice sword until her arms felt like they would fall off, but she had persisted every day. Even though no one told her, she herself believed that she needed to become a king, for "only a king can save a ruined country headed for death". Her resolve prepared all her life for the moment she drew the sword, the determination to abandon her humanity to save Britain.</p><p>But training wasn't the only thing she had back then.</p><p>Almost every day, her brother was there in front of her, sparring against her wooden sword diligently. Although he didn't accompany her all the time, it was a fact that he would take some time daily to train with her. Her father told Kay to treat her like a brother, and he did so faithfully, even while knowing that her female charms would fully manifest during her adulthood. His treatment of her was truly that of a blood related brother, to the point that when Artoria was told that they weren't blood related, she simply accepted it and continued acting like normal, joking with him, training with him, being taken care of and taking care of him when they were sick. In a sense, they were already true siblings, going beyond the bond of flesh and blood to a bond of the heart.</p><p>Once, she had fallen sick while Kay's mother, her foster mother, was away, and Sir Ector was too busy dealing with his duties. Thus, it had fallen on Kay to take care of Artoria, or Arthur. In spite of his inexperience in such matters, he had managed to do passably well, with the aid of some of the local housewives who advised him on how to clean him, the food he should eat and such. In the middle of the rainy day, he had woken up to find Kay sitting next to his bed, wringing a wet cloth in a wooden basin.</p><p>"K-Kay…"</p><p>He turned to him upon hearing his voice.</p><p>"Arthur? Ah, you're awake. How do you feel?"</p><p>Despite trying to sound unconcerned, his words were enough to express his worry.</p><p>"I, *cough*, I think I might die…"</p><p>Arthur sniffled and coughed on the bed, his cheeks and forehead a bright red. Still, his condition wasn't so bad that he actually was going to die, but Kay decided to humor him, just to make him feel better.</p><p>"You know, it would be troublesome for me if you were to die now."</p><p>Arthur groaned, then flipped onto his side, his back facing Kay.</p><p>"Unnggg...I really might die…"</p><p>Kay sighed, pulling his shoulder to get him to rest on his back again, draping the wet cloth he had finished wringing across his forehead. The cool cloth sapped some of the heat from his forehead, bringing relief to his body.</p><p>"Ahhn, thanks…"</p><p>"So do you still feel like dying?"</p><p>Kay grabbed another rag and pushed into the basin of water.</p><p>"...Yes…"</p><p>"Haahhhh...Fine, I'll do anything for you, but in exchange you'll have to get back to normal as fast as possible, alright?"</p><p>When Arthur didn't respond, he repeated his words. After the third time, he finally seemed to have heard him.</p><p>"Anything, I want…?"</p><p>Outside, the rain fell incessantly, tapping on the thatched roof and running down the densely packed plant to the ground. Occasionally, a few peals of thunder could be heard in the distance, rumbling majestically, a growling lion in the skies.</p><p>"I want…*sniff*...I want a dream…"</p><p>A dream? Was that even possible? Kay patiently waited for him to finish. Depending on the contents of the dream, he could perhaps grant his wish. His mouth stretched into a yawn, his left hand pausing in his wringing of the cloth to pinch himself. He had been here a while, and was starting to feel a bit sleepy.</p><p>"A lion...Ahchoo!"</p><p>Grabbing a rag from another basin, he gently wiped the snot off his face and blanket, dropping the dirtied rag into a pile of used cloth.</p><p>"Lion...running across the-the pla..ins"</p><p>He leaned in close to hear the last few words as his voice drifted off, getting quieter and quieter as he sank into the oblivion of sleep once more. He barely managed to catch the last word before he stopped, his snoring starting up due to the amount of mucus in his nose.</p><p>Huhhhh, a lion? A dream of a lion running across the plains? What kind of dream was that?</p><p>Kay furrowed his eyebrows in thought, wondering how he would make her see it. He did know his brother loved lions, saying they were his favourite animal ever since he saw one when he was young, but to think that he'd even ask for them in a dream.</p><p>Well, I did promise him that I'd do anything, so I'll just have to try.</p><p>He'd once overheard Merlin say that often, what people saw in their dreams was simply a reconstruction of the reality they'd seen and experienced in their lives before. Even the most outlandish landscape was formed from their memories, as the mind just couldn't visualize what they hadn't seen before. It was similar to telling a person who had never seen an elephant before to imagine what it looked like from a basic description. At best, they would be able to form a rough grasp of its appearance by comparing it to animals they'd seen before, like saying it was a massive cow with a long rope like nose, big ears and gray skin.</p><p>It was just a theory, but he maybe could do something like that to let Arthur have the dream he wanted. Like, making an object for Arthur to look at and use in his dreams.</p><p>I wonder if I can just bend some straw into the shape of a lion to do that.</p><p>That seemed to halfhearted though, even for him, so he went out of the room to fetch a knife and block of firewood. Sitting at a table, he proceeded to whittle away at the wood, bit by bit, in order to make it a majestic lion. Patiently, each cut into the wood carved a curling piece of shaving off the surface, the table gradually becoming covered with light brown wooden shavings. The sliding, sandy sound of knife cutting through wood combined with the patter of the rain was soothing, almost lulling him to sleep. His knife slipped quite a lot though, dragging across the wood to create uneven patterns.</p><p>Then halfway through, he stopped.</p><p>If a lion appears in her dreams, wouldn't it chase him?</p><p>This errant thought caught his attention, and he soon realized that it was possible. With his physical state in such a condition, the lion could become something scary that would hunt him down and eat him in his dreams, since he was so sick.</p><p>Ahhh, what should I do?</p><p>After spending some time thinking while tapping the knife against the table, he came upon a solution.</p><p>I'll just have to make the lion an old and dying one that's unable to lift a paw even against a mouse then, so that he can still see his dream, but not get eaten as well.</p><p>He carved with renewed determination, hacking away at the wood with ferocity as chips, splinters and shaving flew everywhere.</p><p>It was night by the time he was done, but he managed to create something resembling a lion. His father said nothing when he saw the pile of shavings and chips on the table, though he quickly averted his eyes after seeing Kay's finished work.</p><p>He took into Arthur's room, tapping his shoulder to wake him up.</p><p>"Here, I brought you a lion that you can take into your dreams."</p><p>Arthur weakly raised an arm, clutching the wooden carving and bringing closer to his face to look at it.</p><p>What he saw was a strange cross between a dog and a cat, with a brutishly large forelegs in contrast to the twigs serving as the hindlegs, with a misshapen body that looked more almond than anything, and an ear broken off on the head. The holes carved as eyes, ears and mouths were completely out of alignment, making it seem like a monster that appeared at night, and its tail was closer to a bunnys than a lions. There were pieces of bark still attached near the back end, and several gouged out pieces of the stomach as well.</p><p>"Kay...is this the bastard child of a dog and a cat?"</p><p>Her speech was relatively clear for the first time today, but what shocked Kay even more was her description of his carving.</p><p>"Wha? Doesn't it look like a lion at all? I spent all day carving it as a lion, and it doesn't even resemble it anywhere at all? Look, here's the fangs, here's the nose, and here's the paws…" He went on to list the various places of similarities which in Arthur's opinion, didn't exist at all. If anything, Kay had a very strong imagination.</p><p>"Ah, even though it's like this...I still appreciate it though. Thank you Kay."</p><p>Kay turned away so that he couldn't see his face.</p><p>"It wasn't much. Like I said, it would be troublesome for me if you died, so I was just doing it for myself."</p><p>Arthur smiled slightly.</p><p>"Goodnight."</p><p>She clutched the abomination to her chest and drifted off to sleep.</p><p>"Hah, didn't she hear what I just said? How troublesome."</p><p>Looking at her sleeping figure, he sighed.</p><p>"Goodnight to you too."</p><p>He left the room, his heart lighter than it had been this morning.</p><p>That night, Arthur dreamt of a pride of lions, each one of them proud and mighty, running into the setting sun on a vast plain of emerald green grass.</p><p>By the time Artoria was done with her story, she and Caster had already finished their third portion of rice for breakfast, with numerous side-dishes consumed.</p><p>"Please stop them Emiya-san, or else we'll run out of food tonight."</p><p>The monks almost fell to their knees begged him to restrain the blackholes devouring the food, the food just vanishing into their mouths as they unconsciously asked for more.</p><p>"It seems like we'll have to prepare more food for the war."</p><p>Kuzuki said in a monotone voice.</p><p>Emiya on the other hand, was exhausted from having to cook extra for the two. Their appetite was seriously absurd. It looked like they were only holding back yesterday for appearances sake, but on the second day they were immediately cutting loose, going ham with their monstrous stomachs.</p><p>"Hahh, hahhh, let's go shopping for food later, haahh."</p><p>The morning passed uneventfully, with Emiya, Kuzuki and the monks experiencing firsthand the dangers of hosting an Artoria.</p>
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<a name="section0083"><h2>83. Chapter 83</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 83</p><p>Tying up her hair once more with the purple ribbon, she finished putting on her uniform and headed down into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Heading down the creaking wooden stairs, she passed the living room and headed to the back of the house where the kitchen was situated. The aged paintings on the wall stared at her as she walked past, drab grey wallpapers with faint leaf motifs serving as the background.</p><p>Once she entered the kitchen, she got to work making breakfast. It was just a bit lonely without her senpai, but she could manage. Still, the bright white tiles of the Matou kitchen chilled her feet through the white socks, unlike the lacquered wooden floor she was now used to.</p><p>Pulling out a stainless iron pan from the wire racks in the cupboard, she proceeded to take out the eggs from the fridge, pushing the pack of defrosted bacon to the side as she slid a bowl of flour onto the middle of the kitchen counter top.</p><p>Several of the eggs were tapped against the edge of the counter, the hard marble surface breaking through the brittle shell with each tap, Sakura's thin fingers delicately handling the egg so it wouldn't spill it's contents on the floor. The lines spiralled across the egg, creating enough fractures in the calcium carbonate to allow her to crack open the eggs into a small bowl.</p><p>The transparent egg whites flowed past her fingers and the shell into the transparent bowl, the yolks kept within the shell as she poured it back and forth between each side of the broken egg shell to make sure the whites were fully deposited. The eggs, just taken from the fridge, were chilly, and the innards even more so. The whites numbed her fingers as they slipped through. With a final pass, she slid the yolk into a separate bowl, the yolk settling at the bottom with a small circle of translucent liquid surrounding it.</p><p>*krk...shp*</p><p>The process repeated with the rest of the eggs, the whites smoothly sliding with the rest, while the yolks joined their brethren in the other bowl, both glistening under the kitchen lights with glossy surfaces, reflecting Sakura's lone face in them.</p><p>The shells rustled as they slid into the plastic bag covering the insides of the trash can, sitting in the corner of the kitchen. Opening the fridge again, she removed the tub of yoghurt and took out a measuring cup from one of the cupboards above her head, standing on her tiptoes to do so. Usually, someone else would help her get the out of reach equipment, but it couldn't be helped today.</p><p>Thick, white yoghurt was lifted out with a spoon, then placed into the measuring cup until it reached the required amount. The plastic cap of the tub slid into place with a *crack*, with the yoghurt poured into another bowl after Sakura returned to the tub to its original place, while she grabbed a carton of milk on the way as well.</p><p>Milk splashed into the measuring cup, droplets of white staining the sides of the plastic cup. Once she was satisfied with the amount, the stream of liquid ceased, the cup of milk poured into the yoghurt. The white liquid mixed with the creamy whiteness, two dairy products cozying up to each other within the dark brown ceramic confines, two good friends meeting up with each other.</p><p>A few drops of amber essence fell on the pool of white, the vanilla floating on top of the milk, a strong fragrance drifting up to Sakura's nose just from those few droplets. Without pausing in her movements as she set down the bottle of essence, she took the whisk in hand and started mixing the ingredients, her hand rotating in a set rhythm as the yoghurt, milk and essence combined, forming a white liquid with the scent of vanilla. Miniature bubbles formed in the mixture, the liquid turning creamy as she beat it. Years ago, she had struggled to mix things quickly and evenly, but she had been taught well, and now she was able to finish beating it in minutes.</p><p>Electric whisk...she wondered if it was still where she had left it. After seeing it in action at senpai's house, she had wanted to get one for her own use here, but it had been mostly neglected after she went to his house almost every day.</p><p>Ah, the blue cardboard box was there, gathering dust behind the large cast steel pots. Reaching in deep to lift it out, she was surprised to see something glinting at her in the dark recesses of the cupboard below the sink.</p><p>The light from outside hit the object, revealing it to be a single veined wing, of the type found on flying insects.</p><p>The whisk went into the egg whites, stirring the liquid into a froth at speeds faster than human hands were capable of achieving. The vibrations rattled her arm, the steady hum of the motor calming her heart. Hurriedly, she added the sugar and lemon juice to the egg whites, the froth going faster until it became a big fluffy bowl, air expanding them until they tripled in size.</p><p>Flour scattered across the top of the whipped egg whites, her spatula spinning rapidly to turn the mixture into a more solid mass. The yoghurt mixture swiftly followed, dumped into the bowl after mixing the flour with the egg whites thoroughly.</p><p>*skreet*</p><p>Her hand froze, the spatula stopping in the bowl. Slowly, her head turned, eyes sweeping to where the noise had come from.</p><p>There was nothing but the door to the kitchen there, the black painted wood staring back at her with her own reflection.</p><p>Turning her focus back to the task at hand, she finished mixing everything and chucked the mix into the pan to turn them into pancakes. In her haste, she knocked over the bowl of yolks, the bowl smashing onto the ground and shattering into various pieces, while the yolks broke into one big yellow puddle, strewn across the white tiles.</p><p>"Ah! Sorry sen-"</p><p>He wasn't here.</p><p>She took a wet cloth and got on her knees to clean the mess. Purple hair fell across her face, hiding her expression from sight.</p>
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<a name="section0084"><h2>84. Chapter 84</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 84</p><p>"Archer, how are you feeling?"</p><p>In the magic circle inscribed on the concrete floor, Archer manifested in response to his Master's call. On the surface, everything seemed to be fine. His red coat, black trousers and sleeveless shirt all fully repaired, with no tears or rips visible. His white hair was slicked back as usual, just like when he was first summoned.</p><p>"I'm as fine as I'll ever be."</p><p>The prompt answer assured her that he was alright, though she was sure that the wounds were still healing. They were pretty serious, and even with the help of a magic circle, they weren't just going to disappear overnight. They didn't have much to do for today though, so it should be fine.</p><p>"Archer, we'll be taking the day off school to go scouting. I'll be relying on you today."</p><p>"As you wish Rin."</p><p>She had discussed it with Gray and El-Melloi earlier. According to the intel they had, they already knew the identities and locations of the Masters of Berserker, Saber and Caster. Including themselves, that only left two other Servants who were unaccounted for, Lancer and Rider. Gray and El-Melloi were convinced that one of the two Servants were under the Matou family, but Rin wasn't so sure since she had been in contact with them for years, and hadn't seen any evidence of them being mages at all. Sakura didn't give off a meaningful magical signature, and Shinji was just a regular human. The Matou family's ability had atrophied until it was gone.</p><p>Nevertheless, Gray and Assassin were still going to monitor the Matou's, while she and Archer were in charge of looking for the whereabouts and identity of the other Master. There was no point in going to school since they already knew who the Master's there were, though she was reluctant to break the perfect attendance record streak she had held ever since she enrolled in the academy. It couldn't be helped though, the Holy Grail War was the priority now. She had spent her whole life preparing for it, and compared to that her attendance record was unimportant.</p><p>They left the El-Melloi's mansion after a quick breakfast, with Flat seeing them off as they left.</p><p>"Bring back some taiyaki if you can!"</p><p>Rin ignored him as she was lifted by Archer, the two heading for the city to search for clues.</p><p>Seeing Emiya Shirou last night with Saber as his Servant was a shock, and so was having her Servant beaten so easily by Berserker, the Einzbern's Servant. How did a guy with no Magic Circuits support the (supposedly) strongest Servant in the war? And Berserker didn't even act like a Berserker, with a calm, almost cool attitude that she just wrecked Archer with.</p><p>Gray had also told her that a gaunt, thin man was likely the Master of Caster, and after seeing a photo that Kairi had managed to take unnoticed, she was sure it was her teacher, Kuzuki Souichirou. Seriously, what was wrong with this war? There were so many Master's that she was acquainted with, and while she didn't have to kill them, having them as her opponent left her with a bad taste in her mouth. Emiya Shirou in particular, was someone she didn't want to fight. She had just saved the guy using her most precious resource, the family heirloom her father left her, and then he just jumped straight into the Holy Grail War. What an ungrateful bastard.</p><p>Actually, on second thought she might as well just kill him for wasting her magical energy. It was the least she could do for his ingratitude.</p><p>Feeling slightly better, she realized they were approaching the Shinto district of Fuyuki, the modern business sector where skyscrapers and tall glassy buildings stood aplenty.</p><p>The two of them glided through the air, Archer's red coat flapping behind him as he jumped from building to building, making sure to keep his Master in a firm hold. Soon, they reached the tallest building in the district, and in Fuyuki, Center Building. Rin couldn't help but think of the area as artificial, looking down at the glass and steel structures that filled the area from the top of the building.</p><p>"Are you sure we won't get noticed, jumping like that from building to building?"</p><p>Rin looked at him in annoyance.</p><p>"Are you doubting me? From below, people will only think we're birds."</p><p>With the jewels she'd received, she'd managed to make a charm that prevented visual detection, taking advantage of the height they traveled at to refract light underneath them to make it look like a bird-like shadow. Landing on the rooftops made it easy for them to spot, but it was fine since even if someone saw them on the rooftops, it wasn't all that strange. Archer jumped so fast it wasn't like anyone would catch them anyways, as he was almost constantly in the air.</p><p>"Just making sure you're considering the possibility of it failing."</p><p>No matter how good of a magus she was, there was always the possibility of failing. Better be safe than sorry, particularly with the enemies they were facing in this war. Still, if any enemy Masters spotted them, they most likely wouldn't engage them in broad daylight and risk exposing the entire war.</p><p>"I'll be careful. Anyways, let's start setting up the Bounded Field."</p><p>Bending down in the center of the roof, she marked out the lines of the magic circle while Archer kept watch, standing on the edge of the roof looking down at the masses with his Reinforced eyes.</p><p>Fuyuki…</p><p>To think he had been given a chance at fulfilling his wish. It wasn't that hard, actually it was almost guaranteed that he'd be summoned back here, but he had no idea how long it would take him.</p><p>From battlefield to battlefield, he had fought over and over again. With his swords slashing left and right, cutting a path for him through the walls of flesh that blocked him from his objective. All he could remember was blood, and the bodies that littered his path, leading all the way back to his very first deployment as a Counter Guardian.</p><p>It was almost like a break of sorts, to be summoned into this Holy Grail War, though letting his guard down here would also get him killed. He had almost been killed last night already, with the combined power of Rider and Berserker doing him in. Frowning, he folded his arms over his chest as he remembered the power they had displayed, and their appearances. Though he didn't remember the Holy Grail War from his own timeline that clearly anymore, he was still damn sure that Rider and Berserker weren't like that. For one, Berserker was definitely way smaller than he remembered.</p><p>It was hard to forget a roaring giant that ripped out his guts with a big fucking stone sword after all.</p><p>Nevertheless, this Berserker still displayed strength on par with him, and while she almost certainly didn't have the pesky Twelve Labours Noble Phantasm, she could very likely conceal other abilities that could be equal to it.</p><p>Rider, on other hand, was much stronger than the original one he encountered. While she was nowhere near as fast as Medusa, she definitely packed a punch, and her firearms gave her a strong advantage at ranged combat as well, which should have been his forte. He still hadn't seen her mount as well, but going by how her weapons and appearance looked like, he guessed it was probably some type of modern vehicle, like a car or a motorbike.</p><p>But the biggest question of all was why they were both Artorias.</p><p>Seriously, was the paradox even going to work here if it wasn't the same Holy Grail War? He was worried about that point, and he would completely lose his motivation to kill Emiya Shirou if that was the case. The only thing he would have left was his duty to Rin, which he would gladly do either way. He could still try to kill Shirou, but he highly doubted it would work when the timeline had already diverged so much from what he knew. Every Servant they had met had been an Artoria, with only Lancer's identity concealed behind her helm, though he was mostly sure that he was the King of Storms manifestation of Artoria after their confrontation at the school.</p><p>He wasn't going to complain though.</p><p>Being able to see Rider in a risque maid outfit was a blessing for his eyes that he would remember just as vividly as Saber's summoning. It now had a special place in his heart, though whether he could bring out the sniper rifle Excalibur Morgan and pistol Secace was in question.</p><p>"As I thought, maids are great."</p><p>It was only after he grew up and matured that he was able to appreciate the various cultures he couldn't when he was young.</p><p>"What are you muttering about?"</p><p>He almost jumped, but managed to clench his muscles and stop his body from moving an inch.</p><p>"Ah, it's nothing Master. Are you done?"</p><p>His poker face gave nothing away to Rin, who just shrugged it off as one of his quirks.</p><p>"Yes. Let's head to the next spot for the Bounded Field."</p><p>They left the rooftop, with the magic circle inscribed fading from sight once they left.</p><p>The idea was to plant magic circles around the city to create a massive passive Bounded Field that covered the entire city. It would be able to detect a Servant once they materialized, creating a response that triggered the dormant Bounded Field, allowing Rin to narrow down which area they appeared in. It was only possible with the resources, the gems, that El-Melloi provided, but it was certain to prove useful, since Archer and her could instantly respond and track down the Servants no matter where they were in the city, instead of flooding the city with familiars to keep track of everything. It would also help them track down Avenger, whenever the Servant appeared.</p><p>Half the day passed by, with the Shinto district already fully covered. By the Bounded Field.</p><p>"Phew, I guess we're half done. This side of the city should already be functional, so let's head to the other side after lunch. We'll probably get some results at night-"</p><p>The jewel in her pocket linked to the Bounded Fields grew warm in her pocket, the yellow gem glowing with light.</p><p>"Eh, already?"</p><p>She placed her hand on the gem and sent her energy into the gem, speaking out loud.</p><p>"Beleuchten den Weg."</p><p>Taking out a map, she stared at the circles lit up on it, the Bounded Field linked to it as a Mystic Code.</p><p>"That's...Verde? The shopping mall?"</p><p>"Shall we head there?"</p><p>Archer looked at his Master for a decision.</p><p>"Hmm. I suppose so. It doesn't seem like anything big is happening there right now, but it wouldn't hurt to check."</p><p>Lancer sat in the M**onald's, looking at the menu and wondering what she should order.</p><p>"Big Mac...Big is good, so perhaps those, and then large fries?"</p><p>Unknown to her, Archer and Rin were steadily closing in on her location, tracking her down with the aid of the Bounded Field.</p>
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<a name="section0085"><h2>85. Chapter 85</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 85</p><p>"You're going to go out again?"</p><p>Kirei stood at the pulpit, reading the faded leather bound Bible in his hands. He never lifted his eyes away from it, even when speaking to Lancer.</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"I see."</p><p>Slowly, his right hand lifted up and thumbed the side of the Bible, shifting the paper to flip to the next page.</p><p>"You're free to do as you wish, so long as you do not engage enemy Servants."</p><p>Lancer nodded, then left the church.</p><p>"Do you know what she's doing?"</p><p>Kirei's question was directed to the golden king, whose cloak of concealment was taken off after Lancer left. A golden portal opened next to him as he dropped the shimmering fabric into it, the cloak sinking into it like it was water.</p><p>"If you want to know, then ask her yourself. Knowledge given freely pales against knowledge earned."</p><p>Kirei kept silent after that, with the golden king smiling as he drank his wine.</p><p>I suppose watching the gluttonous cow-like mongrel would be entertaining today…</p><p>He got up and left the chapel as well, cup still in hand.</p><p>Lancer went into spiritual form after she left the chapel, summoning Llamrei as well to travel faster. They galloped across the Miyama district, heading directly for Shinto on the opposite side of the river.</p><p>Arriving in an alley behind Verde, Lancer checked for any signs of people, and when there were none, she materialized, wearing the clothing she had seen while going through a booklet, or 'magazine', of modern fashion. The mana forming her armor and bodysuit transformed, changing shape as her body glowed in the dark alley.</p><p>Gone was the ridged, spiky black armor that protected her body. In its place was a full set of stylish modern clothing, leaning more towards masculine fashion. A white dress shirt with vertical folds covered her upper body, her magnificent chest straining the white fabric. The waistcoat she wore was unable to wrap around the big globes of flesh, forcing it to go beneath them. Three slim golden chains attached to triangles of gold on each side kept the waistcoat fastened together at her stomach. An icon of the Round Table hung around her neck like a necklace, with two long tassels going down towards her chest. A brown trench coat with golden buttons and a gray underside wrapped around her body, stretching all the way down to her knees. If one were to see her, they would have thought she walked out of 19th century Britain with her well-tailored formal clothing of Victorian style.</p><p>Her black leather shoes rang smartly against the large stone tiles, her hair tied up into a bun as she walked out of the alley.</p><p>"Ah, I almost forgot."</p><p>The black horn-like protrusions on her head and the black marks next to her jaw disappeared. Though it wouldn't immediately expose her identity to the public, especially with the head accessories she had seen from the 'magazine', she would still rather avoid attracting too much attention.</p><p>Walking out onto the main street, she made her way to the shopping mall, the streets bustling with pedestrians, though not as many as there would be on a weekend.</p><p>"I suppose it can't be helped."</p><p>Even with what she thought was a normal appearance, there was still a healthy amount of people staring at her on the street. Her Charisma played a part in this, but it was mostly because she was just a beautiful foreigner who was very eye catching. Indeed, most of the onlookers staring at her were males, though there were females staring at her as well, with one or two of them holding a lust in their eyes.</p><p>Regardless, she ignored them and went into the shopping mall, making her way to the treasure trove she had obtained information about while going out at night. It was said that this place contained numerous items of great worth, and it was free to all civilians to access as well. She had even overheard people saying that it was possible to die to these treasures, with how great the pleasure they offered was. If possible, she also wanted to see if she could find a 'deal'. There were many 'deals' offered there too, with different ones offered depending on the time and location. It seemed to be that a deal offered much greater rewards than usual. She had never heard of such a place, so she had decided to come here to see for herself whether the rumors were true or not.</p><p>Stopping outside the gates of the brightly lit den, she looked at the insides of the rumored place.</p><p>Inside, numerous people were bustling about, with long lines queued up, and people within the den working hard at procuring the precious goods for the people waiting for them.</p><p>"So they can use magic...cards to exchange for them as well."</p><p>Simply passing the cards over some sort of device that beeped and flashed was enough to give them access to the treasures, though sacrifices of physical material were also accepted, and more often used as well.</p><p>Steeling herself, she entered the den, controlling her body's natural instincts as she caught sight of the treasures being shown off all around her.</p><p>"Mmmhhh…"</p><p>"AAaahn…"</p><p>"Hah, not bad at all."</p><p>"It's going into my mouth!"</p><p>Looking at the immorality around her, she shuddered. Was it really okay to indulge in such pleasure so wantonly? Instead of treasure, maybe it was more accurate to describe such a place as a den of vice, a place where the most degenerate of desires could be satisfied.</p><p>Keeping her guard up, she strolled up to where the lines of people were waiting to sate their appetites, some of them fidgeting while others tapped their feet impatiently, their desires growing inside of them as they saw others receive fulfillment of their physical needs.</p><p>"Ngghhh…"</p><p>"Ahan~"</p><p>"Uhun~"</p><p>"Ya,Yamete~"</p><p>Her mouth started going dry from the expressions of satisfaction and pleasure, her imagination going wild as she imagined herself as one of them, drowning in a sea of pleasure as her body shook with delight, the white creaminess sliding down her-</p><p>"Stop!"</p><p>Her mind caught herself before she lost control, her body still once more as she fought the urge to just charge straight ahead and take what she wanted.</p><p>Eventually, it was her turn, the people in front of her having made their request and waiting for the product that would satisfy their bodies' carnal desires. She stared up at the glowing pictures, the products enticing her with their bodies.</p><p>"I'll take that... that and that."</p><p>The worker marked it down to create the custom request she had made, preparing the perfect item to suit her desires. Unconsciously, drool started pooling in her mouth. She couldn't wait to put the piece of meat into her body, stuffing herself until she couldn't take any more-</p><p>"No! I have to endure."</p><p>Yet, her face started heating up as her body reacted to the perverse scent drifting in the air, impure thoughts entering her mind. Her left hand clutched the right, a tight grip encircling her wrist to prevent herself from losing control.</p><p>After what felt like an infinitely long wait, but was merely a few minutes in reality, her desires finally manifested in front of her eyes. Unable to believe her eyes, her drool finally leaked out of her mouth, a long line of saliva going past her smooth, angular jaw to drip on the succulent product that seduced her to drown in sin.</p><p>"I must-must sit down."</p><p>Using the last vestiges of willpower, she held off the temptation of falling, walking with shaky legs over to a nearby booth to enjoy the experience to its fullest. Her legs almost gave out the moment she reached it, and carefully set the tray on the table.</p><p>It was time.</p><p>Gently, she lifted the cover of the box open, the cardboard sliding against her fingers like a lovers fingers entwining with hers, brushing against it to send shocks running down her spine. Her breaths came out in short gasps as her pupils dilated, her excitement and desire reaching a feverish pitch. Her body felt hot, and she undressed. Tenderly, her long, delicate fingers slid under the thick piece of meat, lifting it up and guiding it towards her warm wet hole.</p><p>"Iyaaaaaaannn~"</p><p>The juices hit her in all the right spots, the meat conforming to her hole like it was made for it. Her flesh wrapped around it, squeezing hard on it as it constricted hard out of pleasure, her muscles spasming as the walls of pink flesh clamped down hard on the meat like it was trying to smash it flat. Her entire body shook in ecstasy, her body twisting erotically as she completely lost her composure, almost throwing her head back in pure bliss. Pleasure filled every cell of her body, every muscles from her hair to her toes quivering in delight, her mind lost in a sea of immorality as she became one of the many, indulging in sinful pleasures. Blankness filled her head as clear liquid accumulated in the hole with the meat, wrapping it in warm lubricant to wring every last drop of ecstasy out of it.</p><p>Archer and Rin watched as Lancer ate the burger and swallowed it with care, the burger quickly disappearing down her throat as she reached for the second one she ordered. Her reactions were beyond bizarre, to the point that Archer would almost say she was orgasming, if he wasn't looking at her eating burgers at a McDonald's. Maybe she just had a great appreciation for junk food.</p><p>"Is Lancer okay?"</p><p>Rin voiced his unspoken thoughts, staring in confusion at her gobble up the third burger at record speed, white creamy sauce and saliva staining her mouth, her body shaking with each burger consumed.</p><p>On the rooftop of the mall, Gilgamesh bellowed with laughter as he watched Lancer eat, his sides shaking from her immensely exaggerated reactions, a far cry from her usual behaviour.</p><p>"FUHAHAHAA, FUHAHAHA!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0086"><h2>86. Chapter 86</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 86</p><p>Archer stood at her side, dematerialized, the two of them situated in a cafe opposite the fast food store Lancer was in. Rin sat alone at a dark brown wooden coffee table, a scarf wrapped around her face, a light orange scarf wrapped around her to hide the lower half of her face, even with the illusion magecraft cast to change her features.</p><p>Taking small sips of her bitter arabica bean cappuccino, she kept watch over Lancer out of the corner of her eye, the foam staining her pink lips white with each sip. She and Archer had been there for almost an hour and a half, with her eating lunch at the coffee shop while still keeping Lancer in sight.</p><p>The Servant in question was still scarfing down burgers, and at this point Rin was sure she was on her fourth or fifth run of the entire menu. She could see the pained expressions of the staff, casting furtive glances at the troublesome customer in the booth. Quite a lot of customers had also noticed her abnormal eating habits, and she was attracting a large audience, whether they were there because of her looks or her eating performance.</p><p>At this point, Rin was internally debating whether she should save the restaurant or not. It didn't seem like she was slowing down, with the empty plastic cups, wrappers and cardboard boxes in front of her piled up like a small hill, and it was well on its way to becoming a mountain. She was sure if any normal human ate that much junk food in the same time period, they would die of digestive issues and have instant diabetes. A heart attack was also possible.</p><p>When she saw the staff in the kitchen start to converse with each other and gesture towards the ingredients, with suspiciously empty fryers and open cupboards, she decided to act. She was the Second Owner after all, and if any trouble appeared in this territory, she was in charge of dealing with it. This may have been a special case, but she was pretty sure that Lancer's massive appetite fell into the category of exposing thaumaturgy. If she continued to eat any more, people would probably believe that magic was real, and that it existed in her stomach.</p><p>"Archer, get ready."</p><p>"I'm always ready."</p><p>Taking one last sip of her coffee, they advanced towards the fast food chain where the enemy Servant Lancer sat, consuming food and drink at an inhuman pace.</p><p>Before they had even reached halfway, Lancer swivelled her head to lock on to them. Even if her body was dulled by the sensations she was experiencing, her warrior's instinct was still sharp enough to detect the arrival of possible enemies. Their scrutiny did not go unnoticed.</p><p>She gazed longingly at the menu, before wolfing down the whole burger she had in hands in one gulp, her throat stretching dynamically like she was deepthroating the layers of bread, meat and sauce, before she wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. Her face fell into an impassive state once more, an inscrutable mask of steel that she had worn during her reign as a tyrant.</p><p>For Archer and Rin who had seen her ahegao face moments ago though, they were seriously impressed by how fast she could switch gears.</p><p>"Master of Archer, what business do you have with me?"</p><p>While they may be enemies, fighting in broad daylight wasn't an option, so she could only try to talk with her to retrieve information. If she was lucky, she could perhaps receive some crucial intel from her. In addition, there was also something else she wanted to confirm.</p><p>"I was just passing through. Rather, I should be asking what you are doing, Lancer. Have you declared war on this shop as well?"</p><p>To Rin's surprise, Lancer nodded gravely.</p><p>"To conquer my own weaknesses, I came to this store to declare war on the sins that plague me."</p><p>It didn't look like you succeeded though, Rin and Archer both thought while keeping poker faces.</p><p>"I also instropected and learnt more about myself with this opportunity, as well as about the modern world."</p><p>The only thing you did was eat burgers, fries and fried chicken. It was getting harder to keep their poker faces at this point.</p><p>"In the end, I realized it was futile to resist my nature. I could only give in and become my truest self."</p><p>Why did you even try in the first place?! At this point, Rin had to grip her skirt tightly to stop her hands from chopping Lancer's head, while Archer did his best to not materialize from thin air.</p><p>"But that aside, I'd like to know about you, Master of Archer. Come, sit here. Since we are denied the right to fight during the day, why don't we talk?"</p><p>After hesitating for a moment, she decided to take the seat offered after checking it for any wrappers or crumbs of food from the feast earlier.</p><p>"What do you want to talk about?"</p><p>"Why do you fight in the Holy Grail War?"</p><p>Rin raised an eyebrow at Lancer's question. She had expected something more related to the tactical side of the war, instead of her motives.</p><p>"My reason for fighting?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Should she say something like that to Lancer? There was really no real advantage Lancer would gain even if she did know, and it wasn't like she had a special motivation for winning the war, but even so…</p><p>Well, perhaps her Master could make use of the information, but she highly doubted it unless he or she was a master manipulator of humans.</p><p>"...I don't have a wish for the Holy Grail."</p><p>At this, Lancer's eyes widened just a fraction.</p><p>"My father passed away while fighting in the last Holy Grail War. He never really told me why he fought in the Grail War, or why it was worth dying for. I was only seven at the time, seeming to understand the Holy Grail War, yet not truly knowing what it was."</p><p>"At the time, I was naive and innocent. I believed that if I showed enough effort, father would come home soon. I practiced diligently, day after day with jewels, through failure and pain as Magic Circuits burned in my childish body. My belief in my own power crumbled when faced with the horrors that the Caster summoned. If that man hadn't been there, I wouldn't be here today."</p><p>Her memory returned to the day, her child-like figure running through the dark back alleys, following a trail of magical energy with the compass her father had given her to find her lost friend. She had come face to face with the deranged killer and she later learnt, Master of Caster. Escaping with the latest batch of children he had kidnapped, she had somehow managed to avoid being killed with her amateur skills in magecraft, but she was faced with an impassable wall in the form of a monstrous tentacled creature.</p><p>She could still remember the slime dripping off the lurid green membranes covering the tentacles, the teeth ringing the central mouth while numerous fang-like hooked protrusions covering the tentacles scraped against the concrete, the limbs flailing wildly as it got closer and closer.</p><p>It was the end, or so she thought.</p><p>Then the roaring beast descended from the skies, obliterating the creature into slime and gore, and she saw the black smoke wreathing the armor of what now assumed to be the Berserker of that war. Strangely, the Servant didn't attack her, instead roaring as it jumped in search of more of the beasts, while the Master approached her. After that, everything was dark. The only thing she clearly remembered was the misshapen face, a familiar person, yet all the more horrifying because of it.</p><p>"The last time I saw my father, he gave me a book and advice about being a magus."</p><p>An elegant man with a well-groomed goatee ruffling her hair, kneeling down in the park as he looked down at his heir and daughter.</p><p>"Rin. As you grow up, keep the Association in your debt. Beyond that, I'll leave the rest to your judgement. You'll be fine on your own. One day, the Holy Grail will appear. It is the responsibility of the Tohsaka family to obtain it."</p><p>"Above all…"</p><p>"If you wish to be a mage, that is the path you must follow."</p><p>After giving her the book, he had left, the priest driving him away to his final battle.</p><p>Without even a word of affection or fatherly love, he was gone. Yet, the hand that patted her head was warm, gently brushing against her silky hair. And the words that he spoke to her…</p><p>She would always keep them in her heart.</p><p>"From then on, I became independent. Even when my mother broke down, even when that man became my tutor, I still persevered. A mage must always be elegant. I strived for that ideal, to become the magus my father wanted me to be."</p><p>"But to truly achieve my father's vision, and my journey to becoming a magus, I must obtain the Holy Grail."</p><p>"It is my family's responsibility."</p><p>"And most of all, for the sake of my father, I will win and take the Grail as the victor."</p><p>It was also partly because of her burning competitive desire to win, but she didn't mention it.</p><p>"So you have no personal desire for it." Lancer had listened to her story intently, and was pleasantly surprised to know Rin was such a magus.</p><p>A magus was heartless, a being focused solely on reaching the Root. That was what Lancer knew, and was truly what most maguses across the world were, no matter whether it was back in her era or now. The ideal of every magus was the Akashic root, and those who reached it were said to be the pinnacle of magi. That was why the masters of the Five True Magics were considered to be so great, either reaching the Root and gaining True Magic, or creating True Magic that successfully reached the Root. Walking besides death every second of their life, they were no longer human, no matter whether their appearance was human or not.</p><p>But Rin was no such person. Instead of understanding her father's coldheartedness, setting everything on the basis of being magi as the guiding point of his life, foregoing the happiness that he and his family would have experienced if his thoughts were that of a normal person, she instead stayed at least partly human. He could only ever think of Sakura and Rin's futures as magi, to the point that he gave away Sakura freely to Matou Zouken, even while knowing of the nature of their magecraft.</p><p>The magical nature makes those who surpass the rules of reason attract equally extraordinary experiences, just like how a Stand user attracted other Stand users. Tokiomi knew that the daughter he did not choose as his heir would be doomed to a life of disasters, and eventually would become a guinea pig at the hands of the Mage's Association, or have an equally worse fate. Hence, the adoption request of the Matou's family came like a true blessing, allowing Sakura to fulfill her innate potential to become a powerful mage, and protecting her from others wishing to use her as a result of her talent.</p><p>Rin on the other hand, became a magus while keeping her heart. If she had truly known the coldness in her father, she might have rejected the inhumanity of magecraft and left the path of a magus. On the other hand, she could have understood and become the emotionless, perfect magus like her father. Instead, she took neither option, becoming a magus that retained her humanity. Due to that, she could be said to be imperfect, a failure of a magus in the eyes of her father, though she would never know. Still, it was undeniable that it made her all the more endearing to those close to her.</p><p>For Archer and Emiya, they would never forget the person who saved them on the night they should have by all rights died on.</p><p>Sakura would hate her for getting close to her senpai, but deep down she would never forget their bond as sisters, especially when Rin refused to treat her as a true magus would. The small acts of kindness that bled through in her actions, helping her pick up the books she spilled on the floor, protecting her from boys hitting on her, taking her to the nurses office when she was sick and acting like a kind senpai. These all warmed her heart for a moment, extinguished though the warmth was when she entered the pit at night.</p><p>Ayako was glad for a friend that knew the different sides of her and didn't judge her for them, wholeheartedly grateful for having Tohsaka as a friend she could joke around and hang out with.</p><p>The track trio of Homuhara Academy, Yukika Saegusa, Kane Himuro and Kaede Makidera all liked her, despite how standoffish she could be at times with her honors student personality.</p><p>It was true that she didn't have close relationships with many, but for those who knew her, she was someone they genuinely treasured.</p><p>Except for Matou Shinji.</p><p>Lancer nodded, finding her way of being a magus interesting.</p><p>"I see, so that's how it is."</p><p>"A magus like that huh. Can you stay like that after twenty, no, just ten years?"</p><p>Rin tilted her head in confusion at her question.</p><p>"Ah, it's nothing."</p><p>Letting it slide, Rin felt slightly better somehow. Even though she was telling an enemy Servant, it felt like her chest was lightened somehow. Strange.</p><p>"Then, what about you Lancer? What is your wish?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0087"><h2>87. Chapter 87</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 87</p><p>A goddess.</p><p>That was the fate of the one who became known as the Lion King, clinging onto the lance even until death, surpasses the boundaries of mortality and ascending to become an immortal spirit without the heart of a human.</p><p>But that was not who Lancer (Alter) was. Instead, she was merely reflection of a reflection, the branching off of the distant possibility of Artoria taking the lance as her main armament instead of the sword and scabbard.</p><p>Artoria wielded many weapons , with variations of her legends highlighting one or two while neglecting the rest, when in truth she wielded all of them. Mighty Excalibur, Sword in the Stone Caliburn, Shadow-Treading Carwennan, Lightning-Flash Spumador, Blessed Prydwen, Holy Lance Rhongomyniad and more, were held in the hands of the King of Britain at one time or another. The anecdotes of her using these weapons on the battlefield became the basis of her ability to be summoned into different classes.</p><p>The most prevalent weapon in all her legends was the sword Excalibur and Caliburn, so it was for that reason that she was most likely to be summoned into the class container of Saber, drawing upon the anecdotes of her using Excalibur against her enemies, a sea of light drowning her enemies in it's radiant embrace.</p><p>According to the legends in the world Lancer was summoned to this time, the other classes she was eligible for and also likely to be summoned into were Lancer (Rhongomiant), Assassin (Carnwennan) and Rider (Prydwen), with the rest of the classes being beyond her reach, at least if one only looked at the Arthurian legends of this world.</p><p>In truth, the Throne of Heroes was connected to every timeline and every possible variation of the universe, allowing every Heroic Spirit to occupy any class, with all the different variations recorded within. The Root of Akasha was the infinite well of information recorded from the past, present and future of all worlds, being the source, process and termination of all events and phenomena. All souls originated from it, and they returned to it in the end, including the Heroic Spirits of the Throne of Heroes, which it was intricately linked to.</p><p>Hence, someone like Lancer (Alter) was able to be summoned, with the only question being the compatibility of the world's timeline accepting the summoning of the Servant of not. If the timelines legends lined up with the summoned Servants profile, then it was able to be summoned. If there were slight differences, then it was still possible, but certain conditions would have to be present for it to occur. If the timelines anecdotes regarding the Servant and the profile were wildly different, it was impossible. The past, present and future would reject that which did not belong in that world, the established fact rebelling against a Servant which should never have been. It was similar to how Gaia rejected the phantasms created by Gradation Air, an inconsistency that didn't belong in the natural world, doomed to be constantly targeted by the world and erased.</p><p>That was why it was impossible to summon Lancer Shakespeare, Saber Atalanta, Archer Tamamo no Mae, Rider Thomas Edison, Caster Fergus Mac Roich, Assassin Karna and Berserker Paracelsus in this Holy Grail War, just to name a few. The legends recorded in the Throne of Heroes that corresponded to the class simply didn't exist in that world.</p><p>However, exceptions to the rule also existed. In this case, it would be the existence of special pockets of space, timelines that weren't properly anchored in place, dimensions that existed outside of any timelines. Dreams that drifted the gap between reality and nonexistence, ephemeral and fragile. The singularities experienced by a certain young Master were one such, in particular the dream of Shimosa and the Cthulhu nightmare, as well as the various freak singularities he was dragged into as well. In those cases, since they didn't belong to any timeline properly, the possibilities were expanded to them, the restriction of summoning from the Throne lowered. However, the summoned classes would also resonate more strongly with the traits of that singularity, dream or lost space. In other words, it could be possible to summon a swimsuit wearing Archer Artoria to a beach singularity, but it would be nigh impossible to summon the special class Avenger Nobunaga to the same singularity.</p><p>On the other hand, King Arthur had stories regarding his use of the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad in this world, and these legends persisted long after his death, spreading across the world. While the spear was not as famous as the sword, it still managed to exist as a lesser known scrap of his legend until modern times, when the Fifth Holy Grail War was held, so Artoria was qualified to be summoned as a Lancer, if the right catalyst was used to divert her from being summoned to the Saber class.</p><p>The Lancer class was one of high qualifications, only just short of the Saber class with its highest set of standards in all seven classes, but they were conditions that Artoria Pendragon could easily fulfill. The 'Alter' attribute of Lancer came to be in a different method though, having originally not been summoned in such a state.</p><p>Bazett Fraga had managed to summon the untainted Lancer Artoria through the priest's prodigious preparation of the ritual venue. After his quick disposal of the key for summoning, he had immediately gone to work in altering the tool for his own means. Bazett had only served as the means for obtaining his own Servant, allowing him access to a pawn he could freely use to influence the Holy Grail War incognito.</p><p>He was well prepared for the fact that the summoned Artoria would most likely kill him after witnessing him murder Bazett, so he had readied a counter measure in order to overturn that situation. A secret ingredient that when added to the dish, would rend it's very essence, the innate nature of the dish changing from mild to spicy, like when Sichuan pepper was added to a plate of plain tofu.</p><p>His application of the corruptive substance harmonized with the legend from the Throne of Heroes, the legend engraved on the font of knowledge for all eternity recognizing the curse of the All the World's Evil that spawned from within the Holy Grail.</p><p>"Instead, I would like to use this."</p><p>These words sealed her fate, as her pale, supple flesh left the hilt of Excalibur, discarding it and it's sheath Avalon to reach for the curving ivory shaft of the Holy Lance.</p><p>From then on, her human nature declined, fleeing her body as the lance remained in her presence, each day injecting a minuscule amount of divinity into her body as the divine nature of the lance mutated her soul. Her rejection of her humanity was not intentional, but nevertheless it was inevitable as the lance eroded like water wearing away at a rock.</p><p>In spite of the change in her, she never lost her human form. Indeed, one could say that outwardly, she became more humanly than if she had kept the usage of her sword and sheath. Instead of the inhuman androgynous beauty that she kept with the limited immortality offered by the sheath, she aged. Her body ripened, her flesh stretching and lengthening as she became taller, her proportions swelling and filling in various places, making her womanly nature and charm undeniable. She also let her hair grow long as well, the golden mane wild and loose on the battlefield akin to a lion's, green eyes filled with light and wisdom.</p><p>Even so, she was still defeated on that fateful day, the bloody fields of Camlann strewn with the corpses of her former comrades and enemies as she knelt on the hill, the tip of her spear driven through the young boy who had only a single instance of his father's recognition.</p><p>"...Father."</p><p>*Shing-shlruk*</p><p>Blood spilt from her sides from the almighty deathblow of the boy, the curse placed upon the body by a witch animating the muscles even after death, a grudge that reached beyond the grave. Staggering, the King of Britain fell to her knees, the remnants of her kingdom scattered to the winds as only corpses were left by her side.</p><p>"Ah…"</p><p>Darkness clouded the edges of her vision, the sharp pain that burned her entire body seconds ago fading away as her sense became increasingly numb, blood pouring onto the ground like water from a fountain.</p><p>At this moment, a nameless knight spotted the kneeling figure on top of the small hill, drenched in the blood and guts of her enemies and allies alike.</p><p>"SIR, SHE'S HERE!"</p><p>Taking off his helm and cupping his hands, his voice reached the most faithful and gentle of her knights among the Round Table. The horseshoes crushed many bodies underfoot, the rider hastening to his lord's side, heart palpitating wildly in his chest under the silvery armor that shone brightly under the glow of the flames licking the battlefield.</p><p>"Arthur!"</p><p>Who...ah, so he's here…</p><p>Her head had almost lolled to the side, her body dipping to the ground even with the nameless knights support, having jumped down to grasp her shoulders and prop her against his horse.</p><p>The silver haired knight slid down from his mount, running across the blood and mud that stained his greaves and cloak, sliding onto his knees as he reached his lord. Other knights started gathering across the battlefield as well, loyal followers willing to assist the one who had sworn to lead and protect them.</p><p>"B...Bediv-vere…"</p><p>Slurred though her words were, they were still audible to the silver haired knight kneeling besides her, the ravens who had just descended on the corpses cawing loudly, almost blocking out her voice.</p><p>Stretching a gauntlet, he steadied her, pulling her hands off the shaft of the lance embedded in the ground to allow her to rest with her back against the horse lying down.</p><p>"What do you need, my Lord?"</p><p>Light green eyes stared in concern at her, one of his hands clenched into a fist at the sight of her grievous wounds.</p><p>"Help...me…"</p><p>"Pl-Place my hands...o-on the lance…"</p><p>Confused as to why she wanted to do so, he still complied, once again placing her hands back on the shaft as he allowed her to lean against him as a back rest, his armored chest plate cushioning her head as stray strands of blond stuck to it with slippery red blood covering them.</p><p>Her chest rattled as she took several breaths, then her eyes opened, her voice coming out in a resolute manner, using up all the strength she had left, for she would no longer need it any more after this.</p><p>"Thank you, Bedivere."</p><p>It sounded just like how her voice used to be, resounding in the great halls of Camelot, even with how quiet it was.</p><p>"You were a wonderful knight."</p><p>Leaning away from his trembling breast, she clasped her hands firmly around the smooth shaft, her hands slick with blood as her body shook, struggling to maintain it's posture. The scent of iron filled her nose, her ears invaded by the cries of the crows and ravens descending on the field of bodies, yet her heart was filled with peace. Her face, stained as it was by bits of flesh, blood and various liquids, was serene.</p><p>"I return thee to the World."</p><p>With one sentence, it was gone.</p><p>The Lance that Shines to the Ends of the World, returned to how it used to be. A pillar of light that fastened the Texture of the World in place, the authority to wield its power returning to its place of origin.</p><p>A smile graced the face of the Once and Future King, collapsing into the arms of Bedivere as the energies from the lance left her, the divinity no longer at her side to support her.</p><p>"My slumber...will be long."</p><p>She breathed her last, Bedivere and the knights following him witnessing her final moments.</p><p>"GRaaaHHH!?HHAaAHAAHHHHaaaHHH?!"</p><p>But that was not to be for the one who would be recorded in the Throne of Heroes as Lancer (Alter).</p><p>For she had refused to give up the lance of her own free will, her path aligned with that of the Lion King who would go on to oppose the King of Magic, yet running parallel to it in that she retained her humanity. For the curse rejected her divinity, firmly rooting her in the sins of the flesh as the mud and sludge cavorted within her body, each and every single cell breaking and reforming under the curse of the Holy Grail.</p><p>"-!"</p><p>After the flesh was the spirit, thoroughly broken in to become an existence far from that of the King of Knights and her sword. Her choice doomed her to an eternal existence, reigning as the tyrant known as the King of Storms. All semblance of morality left her mind, raped as it was by the curse of the Holy Grail, yet deep down, the core remained the same.</p><p>Slowly, the figure armored in black draconic armor, as dark as coal freshly mined, with an ominous spiked lance in hand rose up from the hill, under the horrified gazes of Bedivere and the knights.</p><p>After that-</p><p>An eternal reign, by an undying tyrant.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0088"><h2>88. Chapter 88</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 88</p><p>Taking a sip from the plastic cup, Rin let the warm water slide down her throat, washing away the bitter aftertaste of coffee beans.</p><p>"So you ruled Britain after surviving the Battle of Camlann by keeping the lance, and became like this."</p><p>"That is so. I was faced with a choice after I refused to release the lance. I could become the 'Goddess of the Holy Lance', or I could be the 'King of Storms'. In the end, this me chose to become blackened."</p><p>Lancer tilted her head to stare at the ceiling, her gaze on a past long gone.</p><p>"As to how the curse manifested, or why I was able to reject being a Divine Spirit and become like this, I have no idea. All I felt was something brushing against my mind like a light spring breeze, and I grasped it with all my strength, fighting against my human spirit's dissolution."</p><p>Her burning desire to remain human was answered by the Holy Grail, granting her one last wish before she died.</p><p>"As for my actions thereafter, I suppose you would call them brutal and needlessly cruel. Absolute control was necessary to save Britain, and that was how I acted. In the end, I became feared as the King of Storms, crushing every enemy both foreign and domestic, until not a single cell of resistance remained."</p><p>Emiya frowned in his spiritual form. This was not the King of Knights that he remembered. In fact, she reminded him more of the targets he was assigned to eliminate as a member of the Counter-Guardians.</p><p>"However, I did not regret anything. The blood spilt, the fields razed, the parents who became childless, the young ones who became orphans, all of it was something I had to do. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't change a thing."</p><p>"It was the correct path."</p><p>Unlike Saber, she was her belief in her convictions and actions never wavered. This was her way, a journey without regrets.</p><p>"Still, I know what I did was unacceptable and immoral. But as a King, it fell to me to do what my subjects could not. For this is the burden that the King bears, to act not as a normal human, but as a King. Casting aside all thoughts of ethics and morality, to act for the benefit of the kingdom in every way. For the kingdom outweighs the needs of the individual and everything else."</p><p>Emiya's closed, the blurry scenes of carnage he had lived through replaying in his mind. Killing the few to save the many.</p><p>"I did what I had to do, nothing more, nothing less. I have no wish for the Holy Grail to change my life in any way, nor is there anything it can grant me."</p><p>Rin stared into her pale amber eyes.</p><p>"Then, you have no wish?"</p><p>"I do have one, but not for myself."</p><p>"I want to grant an Artoria the rest she deserves."</p><p>Rin adopted her thinking pose, raising her hand to her chin and crossing her right arm under the elbow of her left.</p><p>"So you're saying that you want to use the Holy Grail's power to kill yourself?"</p><p>Lancer's face lit up for a moment, a surprised smile worming its way onto her face.</p><p>"It seems that you are quite bright, Miss-"</p><p>"Tohsaka. Tohsaka Rin."</p><p>"Miss Tohsaka. Indeed, I seek to kill a version of myself with the Holy Grail."</p><p>"Though if it were impossible, I wouldn't mind either. I simply want to send one of my versions that became like this with a proper death. Even though I ruled Britain with an iron fist, ensuring it's peace and prosperity, I believe that a king cannot rule forever. All things that begin have an end, and a ruler is no exception. It was true that Britain was safe while I existed, but soon I became a boulder standing in the way of progress, hindering its growth while my existence remained. The country stagnated, reaching its peak in mere decades, and maintained its condition in the centuries to come."</p><p>"Also, I got bored."</p><p>Lancer leaned against the table as she rested her hand against her forehead, thinking of the bland, monotonous days she spent. As much as she loved battle and doing her duty, after experiencing the same thing for several millennia as an immortal human, the curse of the Holy Grail sustaining her body of flesh, her mind felt like it would stop functioning at any moment.</p><p>She closed her mind, grateful that she could now experience the joys of the modern world in this form. She had never even dreamed of the taste of burgers back then, her diet consisting of just meat, meat and more meat.</p><p>"Well, even if the Holy Grail can't grant my wish, it doesn't really matter that much to me. I'm already glad enough for this body that allows me to rampage and fight against opponents of similar caliber."</p><p>As the 'King of Storms', her nature leaned more towards being a fighter, a commander that led the Wild Hunt in the skies to battle. She appeared more on bloodsoaked battlefields than as a ruler in the castle, and thus her desire for combat was much greater than the other Artorias, although all of them enjoyed it to some degree, fighting against challenging opponents. As such, being able to be summoned as a Servant could be said to be a wish of hers coming true in a way.</p><p>The food was just a bonus.</p><p>Rin looked down at the water, contemplating their respective reasons for fighting. Lancer wasn't a saint, that was for sure, but in a way her unyielding belief in her actions was worthy of admiration, someone who sacrificed much to achieve what she believed was correct. As for herself…</p><p>Lancer glanced at her, deep in thought, before shifting her gaze back to the glowing menu above the counters.</p><p>"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to order more burgers."</p><p>Both Archer and Rin were alarmed, Archer almost materializing again to physically restrain her, while Rin stood up, almost spilling the cup of water in her haste.</p><p>"Ah, don't you want to try something new? I know a couple of good restaurants that you might like, what do you say about going and trying them out?"</p><p>The staff in the restaurant looked on fearfully, praying that Lancer would leave as they continuously apologized to the other customers about the items that were suddenly out of stock.</p><p>Lancer didn't even need to hear another word.</p><p>"Say no more. Lead the way."</p><p>Her Charisma activated, making Rin feel even more motivated to get her out of the restaurant as she took Lancer's hand and led her out of the restaurant, desperately bringing her out before Lancer made the local headlines for cleaning out the restaurant's stocks in a single day. Behind her, Archer shook his head and sighed, his mouth twitching into a small grin when more memories resurfaced of him, Sakura, Taiga, Saber and Rin at the dining table, Taiga fighting with Saber over the dishes while Rin yelled at them to discipline themselves, with him and Sakura laughing at their antics on the side.</p>
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<a name="section0089"><h2>89. Chapter 89</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 89</p><p>“Shirou, show me what you are capable of.”</p><p>Saber stood opposite him, clasping the shinai loosely in one hand, waiting for him to make the first move.</p><p>It had been Caster’s suggestion to him that he train with Saber, and during their little chat this morning, Caster had also brought up the topic with Saber. After a short discussion between Saber and Shirou, they had asked for permission to use the dojo, bringing us to the present. </p><p>While it was true that Shirou would absolutely not be participating in any battles between Servants, considering their power, he could still be targeted by enemy Masters. Thus, Saber considered it necessary to at the very least ascertain what he could do, and then do her best to improve his chances of surviving if he ever came to blows with an enemy magus. She would teach him physical combat, and Caster would be in charge of the magical side of things. </p><p>Judging by her Master’s physique, he at least had decent strength and stamina among his peers, though it was far from enough to confront a magus just with that. He had mentioned training daily as well, so she supposed at the very least she didn’t have to build his discipline from the ground up.</p><p>Shirou had trained in kendo before, so he settled into the orthodox stance that most kendo users used, his right foot forward, with his left foot behind, the heel off the ground. His right hand grasped the tsuka (hilt) near the circular tsuba (crossguard) of the shinai, the left hand holding near the tsukagashira (pommel). The fingers were relaxed, with no open spaces between them. Aligning the shinai with the center of his body at waist level, he adopted a chudan, the middle posture.</p><p>In his youth, he had crossed swords with his father before, but they were both amateurs, with no consideration to form. In the end, the only thing he took away from those ‘lessons’ was how to deal with an opponent with a long weapon. Later on, he had served as the practice dummy of Taiga for a while, beaten blue and black until he could barely stand. He had managed to pick up the proper starting stance back then by observing Taiga’s starting form, but not much else. </p><p>“Are you going to fight in those clothes?”</p><p>It wasn’t a problem per se, he was just surprised she was wearing a skirt to fight with him. She looked down at her clothes, blinking in surprise.</p><p>“Ah, what I meant was that I thought you’d wear armor.”</p><p>“I see. Indeed, it would be disrespectful to you if I fought like this. Very well, allow me to change.”</p><p>Before she could do so, Shirou stopped her.</p><p>“It’s fine really, it’s just a misunderstanding from me. If I could choose, I’d rather fight you in that dress.”</p><p>He’d only ever seen Saber fighting in armor, but if she could practice with him in her dress then that was fine too. After all, she did look much better in a dress, at least to him. Saber didn’t seem to understand him though.</p><p>“It would be impractical to fight with this clothing though.”</p><p>“No, I mean you look good in them.”</p><p>Saber widened her eyes, putting her hands on her hip.</p><p>“Is that so? I don’t think they suit me very well though.”</p><p>Shaking her head, she focused back on what they were supposed to do. </p><p>“Enough chit-chat. Let’s start training.”</p><p>Lifting her shinai into her usual stance, two hands gripped tightly around the hilt. </p><p>“Come at me, Shirou!”</p><p>“W-wait, already? We’re just going to fight?”</p><p>Shirou backed away, his feet automatically backpedalling from the pressure exerted from the small blonde in front of him. </p><p>“What’s wrong Shirou? I can’t improve your body in a mere few days. Techniques cannot be acquired overnight. In that case, the only thing I can offer you is experience. I’m a bad teacher anyways, so anything more would be difficult.”</p><p>“But-”</p><p>*Shwip*</p><p>*Don*</p><p>Shirou’s world was turned upside down as he realized he was lying down on the tatami mats, and then the pain on his left leg hit him.</p><p>"―――A―――Haa, haa, haa... ow――ouch, ouch, this is broken, I'm sure...!"</p><p>“It’s only a bruise. With Avalon, it should heal quickly.”</p><p>“W-wait!”</p><p>Shirou desperately crawled away from the diminutive Saber, now exerting such a strong pressure that she looked like an oni from Japanese folklore in his eyes. </p><p>Raising her shinai, he felt the killing intent sharpening to such a degree, it was like naked steel pressed against his neck.</p><p>“Sa-GYAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”</p><p>The sun was setting by the time Shirou was unable to move. </p><p>"―――Haa―――haa―――haa... "</p><p>At this point, if he could properly form thoughts, he would’ve thought it was a miracle he was still alive. It was also a miracle that there was no blood at all on the ground with how hard she had hit him, and it was even more of a miracle that his clothes didn’t tear with how big his bruises were swelling up all over his body. If one looked at his face, they wouldn’t be able to recognize it as Emiya Shirou. The only thing that could be used to identify him was his red hair. </p><p>“Shirou…”</p><p>Saber knelt next to him, putting her shinai on the ground as she stared at him in concern. Her hands reached towards his shoulders, prepared to flip him over to see how bad his injuries were. </p><p>“―YOSHA!”</p><p>Taking advantage of her opening, he struck, his motionless body suddenly twisting to swing the shinai still gripped in his right hand at her waist.</p><p>As casually as brushing the leaves of her dress, she raised her left hand caught the blade between two fingers, a mere application of her strength enough to stop it in place.</p><p>“It seems you are still able to continue Shirou. Stand up.”</p><p>If you looked closely enough, one could see tears between the gaps of the bruises on his face. </p><p>After another hour of unspeakable brutalization, it was truly over.</p><p>Saber stared down at him, only the faint sound of breathing assuring her that he was still alive. She had made sure to strike non-critical areas with as much force as he could endure without going overboard, but there was only so much pain the human body could endure, even with how high his pain tolerance was. In addition, his spirit had also been attacked, the intense killing intent she constantly released at him wearing down his mental strength, frustration and shame at being beaten so easily each time chipping away at his mentality.</p><p>In truth, Saber was astounded at how stubborn he was. Even with his body on the verge of giving out, every time he still pushed himself up, body swaying as he tried his best to simply stand straight and hold his shinai. By the end of it, he was barely conscious half the time, his eyes sliding shut before Saber’s shinai even reached him. Yet the fragile body of a human that should have succumbed long ago got back up over and over, going against a Servant with nothing but sheer willpower. </p><p>She was quite sure that prisoners tortured by Agravain for information endured less pain in a day then Shirou had just experienced. </p><p>Still, hopefully he would learn something from this. The experience of fighting, given to him through countless duels from the past few hours would teach him that at his level, he needed to constantly search for the perfect situation where everything aligned for him, in order to succeed and win.  At least he managed to get to the level where he was able to block, dodge or deflect two strikes consecutively, even though she was holding back. </p><p>At the start, he could only endure the blows, taking one, fainting, waking up and then repeating the process. He was knocked out no matter what he did, so he could only get desperate and attack. But it was easily deflected, leading to his defeat. When he got used to that as well…</p><p>"Damn."</p><p>After an hour, he started being able to move the shinai’s blade slightly to lessen the shock of the blow, and after a few more bouts, he was able to block the first blow before he fainted. <br/>He gained composure, his instincts that let him understand he’d die the next second become keener, sharpening with each blow. It could also be referred to as being ‘in the zone’.</p><p>So he committed to defense.</p><p>His instincts said "I'll be knocked out if that blow hits", so naturally he tried to avoid it. He would manage to elude Saber's barrage of attacks, then take a fatal blow while he waited for an opening to counter.</p><p>Each time he stood up, thinking he could last longer this time. From time to time, he would just rush at her since he was doomed anyways, attacking with wild abandon.</p><p>The two hours were just spent repeating that process over and over. He might not have become stronger, but his body and mind became accustomed to fighting. By the end of it, before he fainted for good, he was able to block the first two blows, forcing his body to move in spite of the pain that burned all the way into his bones. His mind didn’t panic or relax too much in front of his enemy, allowing him to move as he wanted to. His body learnt that it was always one mistake from death.</p><p>Sitting down next to his battered and exhausted body, she flipped him over and stripped off his shirt to see how bad it was. With some difficulty, she managed to tug off the clothes from his swelling bruises, exposing his upper torso to the world.</p><p>Or what was left of it.</p><p>To be honest, it was difficult to find a patch of skin that wasn’t discolored or swelling. Although she could already tell that Avalon was healing the older bruises, with the swelling less severe in some places, it was still a painting of purple and blue. </p><p>Shaking her head, she pulled the shirt back on and laid him on her back, carrying her off to their own room. </p><p>Thinking back on their training, she remembered how enthusiastic each strike had been. Throwing his whole weight behind his sword, he struck with all his soul, making them powerful. She had almost forgotten to deal with them, like watching a dog play gleefully. Her eyes turned gentle, thinking of the days when she saw the young knights in training at Camelot. Her Master didn’t lose to them at all, in terms of endurance or energy. If anything he surpassed them in that respect.</p><p>Seeing the two pass by, Caster walked up to them, but after seeing Shirou and the pitiful state he was in, she changed her mind and walked away.</p>
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<a name="section0090"><h2>90. Chapter 90</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 90</p><p>“Has anyone seen Kairi?”</p><p>Flat turned his face away from the ‘Shounen Jump’ he was reading.</p><p>“Scarface? He hasn’t showed up here these two days.”</p><p>El-Melloi stared at the cellphone in his hands. The Nokia screen stared back at him, a list of missed calls within the past hour catalogued. Six calls to him, and no answer. </p><p>He was supposed to check in with them every five hours, so after no contact in any way after fifteen hours, both magical or non-magical, it was starting to look suspicious. </p><p>Slipping the cellphone back into his pocket, he came to a decision. </p><p>“Flat, Gray, we’re going to the Einzbern territory to see if Kairi’s still there. Caules, Org and Ayaka, hold down the fort.” </p><p>“Understood Professor.”</p><p>“There’s no need to call me Professor any more Org.”</p><p>Grabbing the sealed box holding the cursed knife, he left for the garage, the two following him. Flat took the magazine with him onto the car, reading manga on the way to the spot where Kairi was supposed to be. <br/>-the previous night-</p><p>Sipping his thermos of black coffee, the man sat on the ground, a telescope on a tripod setup in front of him. Even with a thermal blanket wrapped around his shoulders, the winter chill still stung, though it was already something he was used to after travelling the world. </p><p>“To think that I’d get dragged into something like the Holy Grail War...heh.”</p><p>Kairi grinned to himself, watching the distant forest of the Einzbern territory. </p><p>Originally, he had been undertaking a job in Romania when the heiress of the El-Melloi, Reines, approached him for work. After getting roped into working for them for a short period of time, chasing Doctor Heartless and gathering information on him, he was suddenly sent to directly work with Lord El-Melloi II after being told that one of his disciples was going to join a magic ritual in Japan. </p><p>He was fine with suddenly switching jobs, so long as they paid him well, so he tagged along with the team. It had been some time since he had returned to his motherland as well, so it would be nice to see it once more. </p><p>Still, the moment they had set foot in Fuyuki, something had felt off to him. It wasn’t to the extent that he would immediately void his contract with the Edelfelts, but it certainly left him on edge. The feeling had intensified when he had stood at a certain park in Shinto, and he knew when to trust this gut feeling of his. After years spent on many battlefields, plundering the Magic Crests of dead magi and gathering materials for his magecraft, his instinct was well-honed in these kinds of situations. </p><p>It had led him here, staking out the territory of the Einzberns. While he wasn’t certain if he’d find anything here, he at least wanted to check out their base of operations, such as if there were any ways to penetrate the Bounded Fields surrounding it. Earlier, he had received news of Ruler appearing at a local high school, and that the Einzbern Master was there as well, so he had decided to leave the immediate area before they returned. </p><p>Based on what he had seen of the information they had collected so far, he would judge the Einzbern Master to be one of the most dangerous ones in the war, though quite a few of them were formidable. The Tohsaka girl, the Enforcer Bazett and Araya Souren were all people he was wary of, though thankfully the latter was already dealt with. </p><p>Still, it wasn’t like he was weak either. If push came to shove, who knew what could happen. </p><p>After seeing photos of the Einzbern Master though, he’d rather not kill her if could it. It wasn’t like he hadn’t killed children before, but if possible, he’d much rather not do it at all. In his line of work, getting his hands dirty was inevitable, but the less he had to dirty them, the better. </p><p>“Hah, I wonder if I can visit her grave after this is all over.”</p><p>His stepdaughter was probably still resting there, if his parents had respected his wishes…</p><p>*twang*</p><p>The human hair connected to a nail behind him snapped, a chill running down his spine.</p><p>“Shit.”</p><p>Flinging himself madly to the side, he simultaneously pulled the pin of a concussion grenade made from the lungs of a magus and stuck it right behind him.</p><p>*BOOM*</p><p>*THOOOM*</p><p>A smaller explosion preceded the second, much larger blast that followed, the explosion of air from the concussion grenade throwing him far enough forward to just barely avoid being eviscerated by the charging horse that barreled right through the space he was in moments ago.</p><p>With his ears ringing and eyes watering from dirt, he still managed to get to his feet and stumble away from his camp, his back aching from the grenade’s blast. </p><p>Where had that come from? How had they gotten here so fast? Even with his mind muddled from the blast, he could still sense the unmistakable presence of a Servant near him. If it hadn’t been for his Bounded Field set up in advance to warn him of intruders, he would have been turned into bloody mist from that attack. </p><p>Lancer frowned under her helmet, turning her head to look back at the ruined camp, now just a large furrow in the ground. </p><p>“I underestimated him too much, to miss like that.”</p><p>Her charge had created a massive swirl of air in front of her with the speed of her attack, and it had triggered the hairs making up his Bounded Field, the wind drill going ahead of her spinning lance. Hence, it had bought him an extra second or two before she arrived, and the grenade did it’s job in throwing him out of the way. </p><p>Focusing her eyes, she scanned the forest around the camp, around the area where he should have landed after being thrown away from the camp. All she could see was trees, dirt and leaves, the moonlight filtering through the gaps in the branches above. </p><p>Leaning against a tree, Kairi did his best to quieten his breathing with a technique he learned in India. Reducing his presence to avoid detection should be possible, against Servants without sensory type abilities. As long as the Servant wasn’t Caster class, if he wasn’t actively using magecraft, he wouldn’t be easy to detect. The leather jacket he was wearing, sewn from the hides of magical beasts, also helped to confuse his scent and magical signature. </p><p>He could figure out why there was a Servant here later, right now his priority was escaping. </p><p>“Heh.”</p>
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<a name="section0091"><h2>91. Chapter 91</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 91</p><p>An elbow dug into his sides without warning, a shockwave spreading through his body.</p><p>A second ago, there was nobody. Next, a tall man in the Church's uniform stood there, in the stance of Bajiquan, his elbow at right angle with his waist, his fist facing upwards.</p><p>A trail of blood remained in the air as it flew from Kairi's mouth, his body spinning and tumbling across the forest floor until it came crashing to a stop against a tree.</p><p>"―――Urghhh―――"</p><p>His crumpled body twitched, his consciousness trying to reassert itself. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and from his nose, combining together on his cheek into a single stream of crimson that watered the dirt his face was resting against.</p><p>―――MOVE</p><p>His hands reached into his jacket, fumbling in the dark as he did his best to control his floundering fingers, his senses dulled from the blast and the elbow strike. But years of practice aided him, guiding his hand to the wooden handle of the double-barrelled sawed-off shotgun he kept with him at all times, his trusty partner.</p><p>*krnch, krnch*</p><p>Not yet…</p><p>With the necromancer injured, Kirei saw no reason to hide his presence any more, casually approaching the Kairi like he was meeting an acquaintance.</p><p>"What is your name, magus? Tell me, so that the Lord may hear and absolve your sins."</p><p>When Kairi refused to answer, Kirei smiled.</p><p>"If you are unwilling to repent, then you must suffer punishment before you are forgiven."</p><p>In the blink of an eye, he seemingly teleported in front of Kairi's prone body with inhuman speed, his foot hooking under Kairi's torso and lifting him up into the air for his shoulder to strike his stomach.</p><p>The instant Kairi felt himself go weightless, he drew the shotgun from under his jacket with practiced ease, the barrels swiftly aligning with the priest's body. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.</p><p>A deafening crack sounded through the forest, reaching Lancer's ears. Her eyes instantly locked onto the two shadows intertwined, deep in the forest.</p><p>He's aiming away from me?</p><p>Kirei was confused as he saw the barrels tilted away from his body, his eyes telling him that the bullets wouldn't hit. Yet his instincts screamed at him to dodge, and his body obeyed, barely pulling him out of the way of the finger bullets that curved towards his body as they passed him, the closest one cutting a line across the sides of his cassock.</p><p>The bullets were able to track body heat and adjust their course accordingly, with the additional property of burrowing into the body to the heart to explode with the 'Gandr' curse, a one shot one kill weapon. It wasn't able to make a complete U-turn in the air though, so Kirei was able to escape death by a hair.</p><p>Before Kirei recovered, Kairi pulled out the heart grenade, the dark red shrivelled mass in his hands, and hurled it in front of him. Within his body, the Magic Circuits stirred to life.</p><p>"O wind…"</p><p>A gust of air blew the grenade right behind Kirei's body, using his body as a shield to block the shrapnel from hitting Kairi while making it harder to get rid of as well. Kirei's eyes tracked the red mass, watching it pass right under his armpit and past his ribs.</p><p>This guy...It had been some time since Kirei had to put his life on the line, but he remained calm.</p><p>Turning around to crush the grenade would expose his back to the necromancer, but leaving the grenade alone would very likely lead to his doom as well. Within a second, he mind sped through the possibilities, and he opted to retreat, exposing Kairi to the grenade while placing himself out of harm's way.</p><p>His feet planted firmly on the ground, pushing against the earth as he was propelled sideways by his right foot, his right leg fully out stretched while his left leg stopped him at the trunk of a tree, bending to absorb the force of his jump.</p><p>He fell for it.</p><p>Kairi grinned and retrieved the unprimed grenade, the pin still in place. He had purposefully angled his throw so that the priest couldn't see the pin, using magecraft to blow it behind him to further obstruct him from inspecting it. Reloading his shotgun with the fingers, he placed the grenade back into his jacket to draw out the smoke canisters he kept around with him, pulsing black sacs carved off a magical beast sealed within steel cylinders.</p><p>There was no time to waste.</p><p>With a Servant behind him watching his every move, and a monster of an Executor facing him, the only choice he had was to escape and contact El-Melloi and let him know what was happening. Currently, he could tell that the Servant was holding back since the Master was engaging him, but there was no telling when it would join in as well. He hadn't been able to tell which Servant it was during that blisteringly fast charge, but regardless who it was, they could easily kill him.</p><p>The same went for the Executor in front of him as well-wait, wasn't that the supervisor? Now that he had put some space between them, he could see that the priest was Kotomine Kirei, the sharp chin, drawn face and unruly long brown hair perfectly matching the photos he had seen. What was he doing attacking him. Was he the Master of a Servant in this war as well?</p><p>Kirei, noticing his face light up in recognition, spoke to him.</p><p>"It seems you know me. Would you do me the kindness of telling me your name then?"</p><p>Originally, they were supposed to assist Avenger with the fight against Berserker and Ruler, but since Angra Mainyu had said he only needed to help when a signal was given, he was on standby. In the meantime, silencing potential witnesses and gaining information about the other Masters would be beneficial to himself. Based on what he knew, he could hazard a guess that the necromancer in front of him belonged to the Mage's Association, likely working under Lord El-Melloi II, since Bazett hadn't told him about anybody supporting her. It was possible he was a third party, or paid by another Master, but based on what he knew of the other Masters and of the Clock Tower, it was more likely the former was true.</p><p>The necromancer was skilled, even after suffering a crippling blow from him, and was still able to stand. That alone was enough for Kirei to tell that he was no normal magus, and the only people who could afford such skilled people were people with deep pockets.</p><p>Kairi reloaded his shotgun while thinking about his next step. Considering his current situation, he could only escape, and the off-road bike hidden near his camp was his best chance at escaping. Turning his head slightly to the left, he noted that the bike seemed to have escaped unscathed from the charge, the furrow in the ground stopping just short of the bushes where it was hidden in. Now the only problem was how to get there with a Servant and a grizzled ex-Executor watching his every step…</p><p>"The name's Sisigou. Sisigou Kairi."</p><p>Playing for time, he decided to answer him.</p><p>Lifting his eyebrows, Kirei's smile stretched just a tiny bit wider. During his days training as an Executor and undertaking missions for the church, he had heard of the name of a certain necromancer, travelling many battlefields where normal humans, mages and magical beasts fought, leaving these hellholes alive with the precious bones, flesh and organs of those who had fallen. Whether he actively hunted for his materials, or whether he simply scavenged them off dead corpses was unknown, but the fact was that he had survived such places time and time again, gaining a reputation as a monster that stalked the battlefields who would do anything for the right price.</p><p>The reputation wasn't unfounded, with Kairi having killed many magi during his life, utilizing methods similar to the famed 'Magus Killer' Emiya Kiritsugu of combining modern weaponry and technology with his own magecraft. As a first rate spellcaster, the tools and weapons he had created with the body parts he collected were top class, Mystic Codes perfectly suited for his line of work.</p><p>"A man famed in the thaumaturgical underground, to the extent that even a humble priest such as I has heard of your name. Tell me, how do you traverse the brutal fields of blood every time without breaking? Surely, you must have seen many horrors and abominations with your own eyes."</p><p>Kirei's eyes gleamed in the moonlight, wondering if he was a kindred spirit. He could practically smell the blood and gunpowder coming off of the muscular man, even at this distance, and he wondered what kind of man he was, to do what he did repeatedly.</p><p>Kairi raised an eyebrow, wondering why he was asking this question seemingly out of nowhere.</p><p>"There's nothing special about it. The more you see, the more you get used to it. I've always known that humans aren't saints, even the best of us. In the end, what matters is what you yourself do. Do what you believe to be correct, and live free."</p><p>That was who he was. After losing his stepdaughter, accepting the fate of the curse and turning his back on his family, he had decided to live his life according to his own rules, with as little regrets as possible. The world was transient, and the impermanence of all things the only constant, so all he could do was live life to the fullest.</p><p>The only tie to the past he still kept was a faded, scuffed photo patched with tape, sitting in the back pockets of his jacket, a man and a young girl smiling at the camera.</p><p>Kirei's enthusiasm dampened, his smile curling less as he decided to settle matters here. Avenger did need their help after all. If he wasn't empty, then there was no point in conversing further.</p><p>"I see. Quite wilful man aren't you. I'm sure you've indulged yourself in many sins over the course of your life, so allow me to cleanse them as a priest."</p><p>One moment he was there, the next he was gone, his body slipping into a stance faster than Kairi's eyes could register, the fist of the eight extremities transferring maximum force to from the ground to his feet, waist and chest, sending him forward with his fist poised to strike.</p><p>Tilting, creaking, the tree behind him cracked and then fell, the inner heartwood riddled with cracks from the force he exerted on it.</p><p>Doesn't seem like the Servant will intervene if he's fighting…</p><p>With that in mind, Kairi raised his shotgun and fired at him, the leaves stirring to block the priests vision as they flew into his face with a strong breeze as Kirei uttered a short chant.</p><p>Out of the desiccated leaves, silver blades with curiously shaped red handles were flung out, slender rapiers aimed at his vitals to skewer them. Far too fast for him to dodge, he deflected one with the barrels of his shotgun, while one sinking into his shoulder and another into his thigh, twisting his body just enough to avoid having them hit any fatal areas. They sank deep into his body, the tip coming out the other side.</p><p>Then Kirei was on him, having ducked so low to the ground that his chest skimmed past the tree roots and dirt on the floor to avoid the bullets that curved down on him, only to hit the floor. With three Black Keys in each hand, he slashed at Kairi, his range increased. Unable to reload or shoot, Kairi parried the first trio with his shotgun, then ducked under the second, using his free hand to push around the tree as he twirled his body around to use it as a shield.</p><p>The fist that slammed into the tree was as loud as the concussion grenade Kairi detonated earlier, the bark splintering slightly, with the internal trunk heavily damaged as the rings of wood were vaporized with one strike. Following the laws of physics, the tree tilted and broke at the point of impact, crashing onto the ground.</p><p>For his part, Kairi was already moving, having just thrown an enhanced flashbang to disorient Kirei who had already moved into place to strike him who was behind him even before the tree fell. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled the one of the two grenades he had left, the one he had used to fool Kirei earlier.</p><p>Kirei grimaced and shook his head, the metallic dust packed with the ground bones of magi disorienting him further than a normal flashbang would, his skin prickling and his nose itching like never before. Focusing his Magic Circuits and the remaining Command Seals he had, he 'flushed' his system free of the concussion, his senses returning to normal, though a slight headache remained.</p><p>What a monster that guy is...the flashbang could keep the average magus down for a minute, but Kirei recovered in seconds. The sight only affirmed Kairi's desire to use one of the trump cards he had kept in reserve for emergencies. Sticking the grenade into the ground, he pulled the pin and leapt behind a tree for cover.</p><p>Kirei, who was already on his way to fight Kairi, swerved out of the way after throwing his Black Keys, the weapons embedding themselves in the tree trunk he was hiding behind.</p><p>*Dossh*</p><p>The grenade was muted by being half buried in the dirt, a small hole forming in it. A purple haze settled around the immediate area, the grass shriveling and the roots bubbling wherever it settled. Jumping away from the haze, Kirei stood at the edge and peered into the depths, trying to ascertain the blurry shadows within it.</p><p>"There."</p><p>Seeing something move, he threw Black Keys in his hands towards it, six blades flying into the smoke, blowing away it away with sheer speed they traveled at, creating small tunnels in the haze.</p><p>"Presence in the wind…"</p><p>Gusts of wind blew into place, clearing the smoke up with a spell similar to what Kairi had used earlier. When that was gone, all he saw was the Black Keys sticking up out of the dirt and trees, with Kairi nowhere to be seen. However, Kirei knew he couldn't have gone far.</p><p>Crackling, like the sound of bones snapping and reforming, suddenly sounded from the dirt where Kairi had placed the grenade. The dirt shifted, the roots ripped out off the ground, as something appeared from the hole the grenade had made.</p><p>Kirei raised his head to stare at the monstrosity that had suddenly appeared in front of him, the sight of a monster with beady eyes and exposed white skeletal structure with flesh stuck on it entering his eyes.</p><p>"HSSssssssHHRrrrrrssSSSHhhhhsHH"</p><p>The best he could do to describe it was as an undead lizard man, though even that seemed to do it injustice.</p><p>Flicking the Black Keys into his palms, Kirei eyed the familiar in front of him, prepared to test its strength.</p>
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<a name="section0092"><h2>92. Chapter 92</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 92</p><p>During his travels across the world, Kairi inevitably came into contact with many strange odds and ends, both magical and non-magical. Self-replicating Martyoshka dolls that grew larger, whales that could swim through creeks and streams, humans that lived with fungus growing all over their body, he had seen much, enough for several lifetimes. In some cases, he also received a souvenir, as payment, as spoils of war, sometimes as a token of remembrance as well. In most cases though, the souvenirs became part of his arsenal, and the lizard-like familiar currently facing Kirei was no different.</p><p>A deep tomb unearthed by Greek mages attracted his attention while he was in taking care of a Sealing Designation that had taken refuge in the Grecian countryside, and after a series of twists and turns while trying to apprehend the heretical mage alive, he ended up with several dragon teeth, escaping the tomb and its secret with his sanity and body intact. He had checked that the dragon teeth were the genuine artifact, and after it was confirmed, he set to work on a project that he had been contemplating ever since he had 'borrowed' some materials from a recently deceased magus.</p><p>The result was the abomination standing slightly taller than the priest, looking like a skinned lizard with some of it's bones and joints clearly in view. However, some parts were slightly off, with the mouth being the most prominent feature. The teeth were misaligned, disproportionate in some way that wasn't obvious, but still felt unsettling. It's head was grotesque to say the least, with three eyes set directly behind a large mouth, while a red, slimy liquid seemed to coat the top.</p><p>Kirei's eyes traveled over it's form, noting the dull color of the bones, the densely packed muscle fibers wrapped over them, the eyes that darted around every once in a while, and the thick, muscular tail lying limply on the ground, stretching past the tree trunk behind. If he were to give an estimate for it's length, he would put it at around two meters, give or take a few centimeters. Notable, bony protrusions poked out off the flesh on the tail, similar to a spine.</p><p>Six eyes blinked in unison, the head with rows of razor sharp teeth turning slightly to keep the priest in it's sight. A forked reptilian tongue slithered out, tasting the air, before it retreated back into its mouth. For a moment, both of them stood still.</p><p>Then the Black Keys disappeared from Kirei's hands, three on each side aimed at the head, torso and legs. At the same time, he himself shot forward, his brown hair ruffled by the wind as he appeared in front of the beast.</p><p>"HSHRARRR!"</p><p>With surprising agility and speed for its size, it swung it's claw tipped hands at Kirei, the right hand sweeping towards him with enough strength to crush steel. The finely sharpened bone met the slender blades of the Black Keys as they deflected the swipe downwards, its hand slashing the air just above his head. Without stopping, he prepared his elbow to strike the monster around where it's stomach would be. The Black Keys he had thrown earlier didn't seem to do much more than annoy it.</p><p>He dropped even further again, his whole body kissing the ground as the left claws stabbed the space where he had been standing, the wind whistling with it. Raising one leg, it stomped straight down on where he was crouched.</p><p>The tips of Black Keys poked out of the top of it's foot as it stepped on them while Kirei rolled out of the way, the Black Keys stabbed in it's foot barely deterring it from getting on all fours and chasing Kirei as he jumped out of the roll and proceeded to sidestep behind a tree as it bulldozed past him, the tail digging into the ground to slow it down and rotate its body to face him. Seeing the muscles in it's legs tense, the red meat bunching up, he prepared himself.</p><p>The tail slammed against the ground as it leapt forward, spinning it around as it swung its tail like a whip at Kirei. Jumping over it as it wrapped around the trunk, the lizard used the grip it had on the tree to pull itself closer, the tip of the tail coming around at the same time to smack Kirei in the shoulder.</p><p>"Hng."</p><p>His shoulder started bleeding, a hole from where the bony tip of the tail had pierced through the cassock. Still, it wasn't too deep, and his face remained impassive.</p><p>Right after the tail struck him, the lizard reached him, left arm swinging down viciously to tear his right arm straight out of the socket. Yet the beast was clumsy, telegraphing it's moves seconds before it actually moved, so even with speed that surpassed Kirei's, it was easy for him to dodge. Throwing a Black Key at the monster, it went right past it, striking it's long shadow on the ground.</p><p>Without paying any attention to it, the lizard pressed forward, bodily pinning Kirei to the tree, finely honed teeth developed for cutting and tearing poised to crush his head as the mouth opened wide, the tongue slithering in and out between the knife sized biscupids. It bit down.</p><p>*Krk*</p><p>The Command Spells glowed as their energy was siphoned, molded into practical energy for use in a way similar to Magic Crests. Mana flooded his muscles, the joints, bones, tensors, nerves and skin all felt a slight tingle, before they became Reinforced beyond what they were originally capable of.</p><p>Originally, there weren't really any grappling techniques in Bajiquan. It mostly relied on elbow and shoulder strikes that utilized the full rotation of the hips to bring out explosive power. But if an opponent had you in a full body lock, it became difficult to exercise the full might. However, Kirei had long since overcome such limitations, fully understanding the method of transmitting force with the body he had trained with since birth. If he was securely tied up against a tree, he would still be able to break it after several attempts.</p><p>In addition, there was also the martial art known as Piguaquan that was revered as the pair of Bajiquan that completed it's flaws. When the two were learnt simultaneously and incorporated with each other, one could be said to be undefeatable under the heavens. Indeed, the famed martial artist Heroic Spirit Li Shuwen was one such person, who learnt and mastered both forms to become a true legend, revered long after his death as 'God of Spear'.</p><p>"I do not know what it's like to hit a man twice."</p><p>Though Kirei had yet to approach such territory, one could say he was on his way to understanding the concept underlying it.</p><p>His palms smoothly flowed against the flesh attached to its arms, reaching the desired position for maximum leverage. Subtly shifting his waist against the tail and the lizard's body pinning him, he Reinforced his entire body with the Command Seals. The two legs planted securely on the ground like two tree trunks exerted strength, force flowing from the ground, through his legs and into his body.</p><p>Then he twisted.</p><p>Both his palms centered on the same points of the arm, albeit on opposite sides, rotated, in fact his entire arm spun. At the same time, his waist moved as well, generating torque. The arms, the waist and the legs combined their power to produce a devastating amount of force, the whole greater than the sum of the parts.</p><p>The lizard's arm was ripped off like it was trapped in a washing machine spinning at the speed of sound, the flesh tearing out of the socket like a papier mache. His posture also brought him lower as his elbow pushed away the lizard slightly at the chest, allowing him to shove the arm into its mouth to delay its mouth from closing on his head. The bone in the arm cracked as it bit down, no pain from it's arm registering at all.</p><p>Spinning out of its deadly embrace, he proceeded to target the rest of the vulnerable and exposed joints with deadly force, handchops, palm strikes and grappling twists were all executed in less than half a minute, utterly dismantling the beast. By the time he was done, only the tail was left.</p><p>Of course, the beast didn't remain idle, but found it's tail encountering heavy resistance as it tried to unwrap it from around the tree, like something was pinning it in place.</p><p>A stomp from his foot broke off the base of the tail, and he retrieved the Black Key stabbed into the shadow.</p><p>With his two arms, thick and muscled like iron barrels, he lifted it's limbless body into the air, placing one arm under its jaw, and another on top of it's head, being careful to not place his arms near the constantly snapping jaw. After securing a proper handhold, his muscles bulged on his back, the veins standing out on his arms.</p><p>*sshhLRRRKK*</p><p>The wet sound of flesh ripping and liquid spurting from the wound preceded the bones cracking and creaking under the stress, before they broke completely under the pressure. With a thud, the limp body fell to the ground, while he held the still active head in his hands, but it was obviously steadily losing energy as the jaws movements slowed down.</p><p>Kairi looked behind him, cursing when he saw the monster fall to Kirei.</p><p>"Fuck, I hoped it would stall him for a few more minutes, but it died in just five."</p><p>The failed dragon/undead hybrid familiar he had tried to create was somewhat lacking in brains, but it was definitely deadly fast and strong, yet it had been unable to stall the man of the church for more than a few minutes.</p><p>Maybe I should have bolted straight from behind the tree before he got preoccupied…</p><p>Still, he was almost at the bike, if he could just get on it, he was sure he could lose the Master and the Servant as well, with a bit of luck. Running around the thick foliage, he froze when he reached the bushes where he had hidden it.</p><p>His blood ran cold when he saw the horse pawing in front of him, the armored figure clutching a spiked lance turning towards him when it sensed his arrival.</p><p>"Ah."</p><p>Lancer had been called to intercept him while Kirei was busy fighting the lizard, and after looking at his path of running, she deduced that the place he was trying to reach was somewhere around here, so she had dematerialized and snuck over. When he had slowed down, she reappeared.</p><p>"I may have missed the first time, but the second one won't."</p>
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<a name="section0093"><h2>93. Chapter 93</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 93</p><p>He was unable to dodge, block, parry or do anything to prevent the lance from piercing his chest. </p><p>As easily as scissors cutting through paper, the cone of metal with red lines running down its sides pricked his faded orange shirt, pushing through the fibers smoothly as the hole enlarged. His skin split apart in front of the keenly honed tip of the lance, blood seeping out from the sides of the gap that the lance made as it continued past the fat and meat under the surface skin, going past his nerves and blood vessels to enter the inner part of his body. The pectoral muscles of his chest bent in front of the foreign objects, the muscles stretching slightly, before they split, the fibers breaking apart in front of the lance as they were cut. The rib bones that were unlucky enough to be in its way cracked as the metal touched and pushed against them, hairline fractures forming as they were shifted out of the way or worn away by the metal grinding against them. Going past the sternum, the rod of steel brushed against the arteries, then cut them one by one. As more of the lance entered his body, instead of piercing it became crushing. His entire heart became a red stain on the black metal of the lance, the blood vessels severed from the all-important organ as blood escaped from the tubes.</p><p>Without stopping, the refined point broke through his rhomboid and teres muscles, scraping past the spine and dislocating the bones with sheer force. The black tip burst out of his back, reaching a full fifty inches before stopping. </p><p>“Urgh…*uwergh*”</p><p>Vomiting blood, placed a hand on the lance, steadying himself with it as he felt strength leave his body and legs. Looking down at the lance, he couldn’t help but grin.</p><p>At least, I’m dying at the hands of a legend…</p><p>As far as deaths went, it wasn’t the worst way to go.</p><p>Drawing her entire arm, the lance ripped free of his chest, sending flesh, bones and organ tissue flying, droplets of blood and water scattering over the dirt. Flicking the lance to the side, the residue of bodily materials slid off onto the dirt.</p><p>Without the lance holding him up, Kairi crumpled to the ground, dropping to his knees, then falling forwards on his face. Slowly, the crimson liquid crept across the ground, sinking into the earth and watering the roots of the trees spread across the floor. </p><p>With her job finished, Lancer turned towards where Kirei was grappling with the monster, seeing him walk over to her with blood all over his black priestly grab. </p><p>Looking down at the necromancer sprawled on the ground, Kirei nodded.</p><p>“Let’s head over. Avenger is already engaging with Berserker and Ruler.”</p><p>With that, Lancer dematerialized as Kirei took off with great strides, gaining speed as he dashed through the forest towards the battle occurring within the Einzbern Bounded Fields.</p><p>The blood grew cold in the night, the corpse growing paler as more blood flowed out of it. Meters away, the bike stood in the bush, unscratched by the events that happened around it. </p><p>-present-</p><p>Parking the car near the slope where Kairi said they could walk to reach his position, El-Melloi got out with his two students in tow, surveying the surroundings for any marks.</p><p>Raising his hand, he chanted.</p><p>“Ostendo.”</p><p>A moment later, a glyph in the shape of an eight sided star lit up on one of the tree barks, and a few meters away another similar glyph showed up. </p><p>“Let’s go.”</p><p>The three mages and one invisible Servant went ahead, trekking through the dark forest, the leaves above filtering precious little sunlight. </p><p>After a half an hour walk, mostly because El-Melloi had to stop and call for a few rests along the way, they managed to reach the place where Kairi was supposed to be, the path marked out by glyphs to it.</p><p>“Ah!”</p><p>All they saw was a great ditch in the ground, created from Lancer’s charge. Pieces of fabric from his blanket and bed roll could be seen hanging on the branches of the nearby trees, and the shattered remains of a telescope could be seen glinting near the end of the ditch. The man himself was nowhere to be seen.</p><p>El-Melloi’s face hardened at the sight, waving his hand at the two people accompanying him. </p><p>“Spread out and look for clues. If something happens to you, send a signal.”</p><p>Walking in different directions, El-Melloi inspected the ruined campsite, while Grey walked to the place where the lizard familiar had been defeated, her latent instincts drawing her to it. </p><p>“Over here!”</p><p>Flat yelled, attracting the two’s attention. </p><p>Walking over, they saw the massive patch of dried blood staining the grass, the iron scent of it flooding their noses when they got close. </p><p>“It looks...like something bad happened here.” Gray frowned and said.</p><p>Pinching his eyebrows, El-Melloi looked around the small clearing.</p><p>“Let’s not assume the worst. Until we find his body, keep looking around.”</p>
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<a name="section0094"><h2>94. Chapter 94</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 94</p><p>Sitting in the mansion all day wasn’t exactly what he had expected to do when his mentor asked for his help, but he supposed in hindsight there wasn’t much else he could do, since he was well versed in electrical magecraft and modern technology.</p><p>Adapting his spells as Bounded Fields to protect the mansion and initiate surveillance of the city by hacking it’s electric grid was an advantage most of the Masters probably didn’t have, with the ability to see through the surveillance cameras installed throughout the city. It was also convenient for powering the other Bounded Fields and Mystic Codes in the manor, since he could set them up in such a way that the energy siphoned from the electrical power lines could be converted into magical energy to power them. </p><p>Stretching his arms above him, he sighed, tapping a few keys to switch between the different views of the cameras overlooking the streets near the academy that the Tohsaka Master attended, before checking the ones they discreetly installed near the suspected Master’s houses. He had repeated this routine through the past few days, performing routine maintenance checkups on the Bounded Fields and equipment in the mansion as well. Despite having seen the battles after they were recorded through the use of familiars, as well as on some of the cameras, he hadn’t really seen any action in person. </p><p>I wonder if Flat finished reading Shounen Jump yet. </p><p>He was actually the one who suggested getting the manga magazine first, and Flat went out to buy it in his stead, getting hooked on it in the process. He hoped he could get his hands on it soon to tide over his boredom. Looking around the room, he noted that there was a plate of dark brown cake crumbs left on the table in the center, a silver fork resting on the side.</p><p>Org was probably in the next room over, messing with the model of the city they had constructed as an experimental Mystic Code with water magecraft. </p><p>“Come on, at least remember to clean up.”</p><p>It was a bad habit of Org’s to leave things lying around randomly, like dirty laundry and stationary. He’d had to put up with it a lot in the shared student dorm back when they were studying in the Clock Tower. </p><p>At least Ayaka was more neat, and she helped deal with the debris left behind by Org as well. She didn’t talk much, even less so than Org, but he could tell she was more at ease, or comfortable here than she had been back in London when they had first met. Maybe it was because she was back in her home country? </p><p>Although, he couldn’t really get along well with her ever since the glasses incident. It was kind of embarrassing, instead of the usual fights to the death that you would expect between magi, and was a dark history that he preferred to keep locked up in the deepest recesses of his memory.</p><p>*ding*</p><p>The sound of a crystal bell being tapped gently floated in the air, alerting him to an arrival at their doorstep. Looking at the monitor, he saw a tall man standing at the door, clad in a black leather jacket and wearing sunglasses, even when it was cloudy outside. </p><p>“Mr. Sisigou? He’s back before they even returned.”</p><p>Reaching for the magic circle that toggled the hole in the Bounded Fields protecting the house, he suddenly hesitated. </p><p>He hadn’t spoken the code word yet. </p><p>They had set up several layers of Bounded Fields, and the first layer that could be perceived, the most outermost one, was deactivated by the person entering the house, before the person inside the house could let them pass through the rest. There was an override for him of course, used when Ruler came to visit them, but for the rest of the instance when they entered or exited, such as when Gray brought Tohsaka to rest at their manor, they had to say the code word they had agreed upon. </p><p>Frowning, he activated the voice intercom. </p><p>“Mr. Sisigou? Do you have the books?”</p><p>It was a way of discerning whether the party attempting to enter the manor was under mind control by another magus, or if they were compromised in some way. </p><p>“I bought three of them on discount.” meant they were completely fine.</p><p>“I bought three, but I dropped one on the way home.” meant they were being coerced to do so, but they were able to control their own bodies and minds.</p><p>Anything else meant that the person standing at the door was a threat.</p><p>“―――█████.”</p><p>To his growing horror, a slimy, scaled insect crawled out of his throat and fell on to the ground, wriggling in a puddle of fluids as it pitifully tried to turn itself over. </p><p>“ORG!!!”</p><p>At the same time, he placed his hand into the magic circle controlling the Bounded Fields.</p><p>“Binary line!”</p><p>The dormant Bounded Fields and other features incorporated into the extensive defense system activated, walls sparking into life as they became visible above the manor, covering the structure in domes of purple, pink, blue and other hues.</p><p>Familiars rose from the flower beds, surrounding Kirei as a mixture of electricity animated puppets, crows and golems rose up out of the dirt. Several turrets, installed by Caules himself, lifted out of their pods and appeared at various points around the manor, including the roof.</p><p>By this time, Org and Ayaka had been alerted by the alarms set up in the manor, both of them running to the control room where Caules was at, and also the safest place in the manor, fortified and buried under at least a hundred meters of dirt below the mansion. The structure was built out of the toughest materials money could afford, further reinforced with magecraft, and equipped with two different escape paths to boot.</p><p>Would it hold up to a Servants attack? Probably not, especially if they something like an Anti-Army or Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm. But it would at least buy them some extra time to escape. </p><p>The entire process took seconds, and by the time the final preparations clicked in place, Caules was anxiously looking at the monitors in front of him, gripping his pants to keep his hands from fidgeting. </p><p>*Bang!*</p><p>He jumped in his seat when Org slammed the door open, who rushed over when he saw Caules. </p><p>“What’s going on-”</p><p>The entire house rumbled, dust falling from the basement control rooms ceiling as cracks spread across the reinforced concrete. A dull sound like an explosion or a peal of thunder could be vaguely heard in the room as well. Two of the three monitors that Caules was using turned into static, with only the central computer left. Caules himself almost fell out of his chair, while Org barely managed to catch a grip on the doorframe. </p><p>“Shit, was that a Servant!?”</p><p>Tapping at the keyboard, Caules desperately tried to bring back the camera feeds on the surface, but they were all cut, his efforts unable to bring back vision. </p><p>Org went over to check the magic circle, placing his hands in it. </p><p>“देखो ”</p><p>The circle lit up, bathing his hand in a pale green glow. A moment passed, and then Org’s face grew pale. </p><p>“Caules...they’re gone.”</p><p>Caules turned to him, pausing in his attempts to link up with the other devices connected to the terminal. </p><p>“What’s gone?”</p><p>Org swallowed, then looked back at the circle his hands were in.</p><p>“The Bounded Fields, enchantments, familiars, curses, everything…they’ve all disappeared. Vanished into thin air.”</p><p>His heavyset face betrayed the uncertainty he felt, the spells he had set in place himself also gone, but he didn’t understand. How could they disappear so quickly?</p>
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<a name="section0095"><h2>95. Chapter 95</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 95</p><p>Far above them, Ruler stood in the ruins of the mansion on the surface, most of the central part reduced to rubble from her entrance. </p><p>From afar, it would’ve looked like a comet slammed into the mansion from the skies, a golden trail of dust left in behind in its path. Using her own body as a weapon, she had crushed the Bounded Fields with her Magic Resistance, breaking them with brute force. They had barely lasted for seconds before they were penetrated, the sheer kinetic force released during her landing destroying the other forms of defense on impact. </p><p>Smoke drifted lazily into the air, water spouting from broken pipes and walls. Sparks from the broken lines hissed, with the shattered turrets whirring pitifully in the corners. A few familiars twitched, the limbs struggling to move, before they fell back onto the ground, broken and limp. </p><p>Kairi’s possessed body was torn apart by the rubble flying at him, his right arm torn off by a chunk of concrete, while several holes of differing sizes appeared in his torso and head from the steel rebar and appliances that were sent flying. His body was already rotten and hollow from Zouken’s worms animating it, so it quickly collapsed on the ground, a mere shell of bones and meat as the worms moved it away. It had served its purpose for now, allowing him to get close to the mansion. </p><p>Near the stairs leading to an elevator that went down to the basement, specially built to be compatible with magecraft, Ayaka lay on the floor, unconscious. </p><p>When the Ruler smashed into the mansion, she had closed the steel door behind her and reinforced it in a desperate bid to hold it together, but the impact had been too much, blowing the door clean off its hinges and sending her tumbling down the stairs, knocking her head in the process. </p><p>“Caw!”</p><p>A crow hopped on top of her, alternating between pecking her face making harsh sounds into her ears. </p><p>Ruler twitched, her head slowly turning to the sound she had just heard, of what sounded like a bird cooing and cawing. </p><p>“Ahh...nggghh…”</p><p>Her eyes fluttered open, the constant pain of being pecked in the face finally stimulating her mind. The hard beak of the crow with a sharp point left many red spots on her face from where it had pecked, almost drawing blood with how hard it had done it.</p><p>Stiffly, her body moved, her hands pushing behind her to get her upper body to sit up, and then lean against the wall to stand. She hissed, feeling the bruises on her butt, knees and elbows when she had tumbled down the stairs and landed hard on the ground. A few scrapes were present here and there, but it wasn’t too bad overall. </p><p>“Was that...a Servant?”</p><p>Looking up at the open doorway above her, she decided that she should probably get down before the enemy discovered the entrance. Forcing her legs to move, step by step, she drew closer to the doors of the open lift, her crow ‘Manaka’ having pecked the button with his beak to keep it open. </p><p>Awkwardly, the torn blue tights stepped over the twisted steel rebar and broken concrete walls, getting closer and closer to the sound she had heard earlier. The worm in her spine at the base of her neck was unable to completely fine tune her movements, causing occasional tripping on the odd piece of broken furniture or debris littering the uneven ground. Eventually, she made it to a jagged, broken wall in the shape of an M, with wires and pipes sticking out of it. In front of it lay a clean rectangle of wooden floor, untouched by debris. </p><p>Her head slumped down to look at it, and then she walked onto the floor. </p><p>Like water, her legs passed through the floor, her Magic Resistance breaking the illusion hiding the entrance destroyed as it faded away. A short set of stairs leading to an open doorway, mangled hinges on the side appeared. </p><p>Ayaka limped into the elevator doors, leaning against the back wall to rest herself. The crow flew into it after she entered, pecking the button for the doors to slide to a close. </p><p>*BANG*</p><p>The doors dented, the steel deforming with the imprints of two hands. The elevator rumbled from the impact, Ayaka’s eyes widening as her breath caught in her throat. Manaka pecked the elevator buttons desperately, turning into a woodpecker as it tried to make the elevator go down. </p><p>The chains suspending the elevator clinked and rumbled, the counterweight going up as they started traveling downwards. Breathing a sigh of relief, Ayaka slumped onto the floor of the elevator, steadying her breathing from the shock of the sudden attack. </p><p>A muffled rumble sound from above, making Ayaka and Manaka look up at the elevator ceiling. The yellow lights of the elevator flickered, the walls shaking slightly. Then there was silence. </p><p>*DON*</p><p>The elevator shook a second time, this time more violently as the entire box swayed from side to side, the lights flickering in and out incessantly. Manaka squawked and flapped its wings before it smacked into the walls of the elevator, the trauma of its beak hitting the hard marble surface jolting it and sending it flying onto the floor. </p><p>Ayaka braced herself against the walls and the floor, her hands gripping onto the handrails for dear life as her body shook with the elevator. Her glasses almost slid off, but the hooks behind her ear barely managed to stop them from falling off. Brown hair swung in front of her eyes, coupling with the flickering lights to disorient her as darkness and flashes of light filled her vision. </p><p>It was over quickly, the elevator still moving slightly as Ayaka stood up. Manaka fluttered its wings weakly, before hopping onto it’s legs and twisting its head to glance at its master.</p><p>“Caw?”</p><p>Several small pieces of white marble dropped onto the floor from the ceiling, with white dust filling the enclosed space.</p><p>Ayaka glanced down at it, then looked up at the ceiling. </p><p>Two dents the size of human feet could be clearly seen, the marble above cracked and missing small several small pieces. </p><p>“MANAKA!”</p><p>The crow flew into the air, stopping right above her, and spread its wings. </p><p>Feathers filled the air, the wings expanding as it became large enough to cover Ayaka’s body, who was hiding in the corner of the elevator. The glossy feathers encircled her body, hiding her from sight within the elevator. </p><p>Bright flash filled the space, the ceiling disappearing as it was blown to pieces, marble, steel and glass raining down on Ayaka and bouncing off Manaka’s feathers. A hole appeared at the top, the lights all permanently down as the elevator was plunged into darkness. </p><p>Looking through the swirls of dust, Ruler’s emerald irises zoomed in on Manaka. </p><p>Flipping another red card emblazoned with a sun emblem into her hands from the deck at her side, she lightly flicked it at the black feathers. </p><p>The shield of feathers blew apart, some of them catching fire as they drifted to the floor. The entire box was filled with black feathers, blocking Ruler’s line of sight as they hid Ayaka from her. The possessed Ruler twitched her neck, her hands jerking slightly as they took a stack of green cards, the cards shuffled into her hand with dexterity, her skills remaining even with mind gone as her body automatically acted. </p><p>Cutting the air like knives, the green cards with circle motifs on them sliced into the elevator, cutting through the feathers like chaff. Every corner was struck, with every angle that she could hit used. </p><p>Yet, there was no cry of pain, no muffled hiss or any indicators that Ayaka was hit. Tilting her head, Ruler’s glazed eyes stared into the box as the feathers finally settled onto the ground, seeing nothing in the elevator. </p><p>“Seichō”</p><p>A rush of green vines, sturdy and thick, rushed up through the opening in the ceiling that Ruler was standing next to, a wave of nature that entangled her legs, creeping up her waist and going all the way up to her chest, even spiralling around her arms to restrain her. </p><p>Before she had a chance to break free, Manaka flew up out of the opening, and flapped its wings at Ruler. Black feathers with smoke trailing behind it shot out, blurring with speed as they pierced into Ruler’s face, cutting deeply into it. Her nose was sliced in half, her forehead and cheeks bleeding from the wounds. Most importantly, Ayaka had made Manaka target her eyes to distract her, the feathers possessing qualities that allowed them to hone in on specific body parts. By adding her blood to the feathers, and some materials from the body part she wished to target, she could make feathers that automatically sought out that specific area when triggered. </p><p>With her vision gone, Ayaka dropped from the upper corner of the elevator she was hiding in, her arms, legs and core muscles aching from the stress. The upper corners were hidden from sight if one looked from the opening in the ceiling, and any thrown objects would be unable to hit her unless they rebounded, so she had been safe there. </p><p>*ding*</p><p>The doors opened as they reached the destination, the elevator going down the entire time they were fighting. </p><p>Sprinting through the doors, she raced to the control room where Caules and Org undoubtedly were, Manaka flying beside her. </p><p>With little effort, Ruler broke free of the leafy restraints, the vines sliced by the green cards she had. </p><p>“Hoh, seems like I’ll have to make Ruler get serious to catch them. Hah, I was hoping to capture them alive and whole, but if they get injured then it can’t be helped.”</p><p>Zouken stroked his chin in his material body above ground, instructing Ruler to stop holding back.</p>
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<a name="section0096"><h2>96. Chapter 96</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 96</p><p>Dashing through the corridors of drab grey concrete, Ayaka’s footsteps echoed as she reached the wooden door that led to the control room. </p><p>“Red Faction.”</p><p>The Bounded Fields surrounding the door went down, giving her access to the room. All the rooms were locked down with Bounded Fields and physical locks when an emergency occurred, such as an enemy invading or internal battles in the mansion, so it was necessary to recite the code word in front of them. As a side note, the code word for the upper surface rooms was different. </p><p>Fumbling in her pockets, she pulled out the key, sticking into the keyhole and turning it as quickly as she could. Behind her, she was unable to hear any sounds that would indicate Ruler’s arrival, but she knew that the Servant could come running at any moment. </p><p>The door thrust open, revealing the tense faces of Caules and Org, both of their Magic Circuits running as Caules aimed his gun-like Mystic Code at the door while Org had created magic circles on his hands with luminous paint. </p><p>“It’s me, Ayaka! We have no time, Ruler’s behind us!”</p><p>Naturally, seeing Kairi’s possessed body earlier had them doubting her words, but when they heard the loud bang coming from the corridor far behind Ayaka, they decided it was best to just leave first. Once they escaped the mansion, they could figure out whether Ayaka was an impostor later. </p><p>“Ruler? The Extra-class Servant?”</p><p>Org couldn’t help but voice his doubts on the identity of the invader. After all, the Servant was supposed to be neutral and govern the war without participating actively at all.</p><p>Ayaka simply shook her head, indicating she didn’t know anything, whileCaules rushed over to the hidden passage leading outside to a garage with vehicles for them to use. Placing his hands on the wall, he focused his od and nudged various parts of the mechanics into place, the battery on his waist sparking as he did so. </p><p>The wall grinded away, gears turning as it lowered into the ground, the dark passage leading downwards revealed, before torches flickered into view to light up the stairs. </p><p>“Let’s go!”</p><p>Beckoning them with his hand, he glanced at the doorway, and froze.</p><p>Standing there was a blonde woman in a bunny suit, with a couple of tears and rips in her tights and torso, but otherwise looking the none the worse for wear, aside from perhaps having paler skin than usual. The emerald green eyes met his sky blue irises.</p><p>“Ay-!”</p><p>In slow motion, he raised the Mystic Code in his hands, hoping to get a shot off on her. The barrel of the weapon started crackling, arcs of electricity jumping between the coils of wire on the outside. Before he could even align it with Ruler, she was suddenly in front of him, the ground she was standing on dented and cracked. </p><p>A millisecond later, the air pressure from her immense speed hit him, buffeting his entire body as his hair bent backwards from the wind, his body slamming into the wall behind him. The Mystic Code fell from his grasp, dropping onto the floor, the arcs of electricity weakening until they disappeared. </p><p>Reaching out, Ruler grabbed the collar of his shirt and lifted him up in the air, easily handling him as if he weighed nothing. </p><p>“Caules!”</p><p>Ayaka screamed, her hands desperately searching for more seeds to restrain Ruler, but she had already used up most of them earlier in the elevator, with only two special seeds left that couldn’t be used in such a situation, unless she wanted to kill Caules. </p><p>Pulling out a small metal ring with sharpened edges out of his coat, Org whispered. </p><p>“बहे”</p><p>The disc edges grew slightly wider, a transparent semi-solid flowing on the outside, teeth of water that span around the edges like a buzz saw. Spinning the ring around his finger, he threw it Ruler. </p><p>The moment it got within a inches of Ruler’s skin, the watery teeth abruptly faded away, the steel chakram slowing down without the speed boost from his magecraft as it harmlessly clattered against Ruler, barely scratching her skin before falling to the ground. </p><p>Magic Resistance…</p><p>It looked like they were against a bad matchup. Both Org and Ayaka saw what happened, and it seemed like they would have to affect her with magic that tangentially attacked her, otherwise it wouldn’t work. The chakram just now was a solid object, something that didn’t have any magecraft woven into it, but the magecraft attached to it when Org casted his spell disappeared when it hit Ruler. Similarly, the vines Ayaka had used earlier had worked because they were a solid object, the magecraft only used to accelerate their growth. The feathers though had their enchantments broken, as could be seen by Ruler’s still intact eyes, though the feathers themselves had still managed to score wounds on her face. </p><p>It seemed like she wasn’t outright trying to kill them, or they would have been dead by now, but they weren’t going to easily escape. She was holding Caules hostage, and standing next to the escape route as well effectively blocking the exit. The doorway to the outside corridor was still open, but with how fast she moved it was likely only one of them could escape. All they could do was stall for time and hope that El-Melloi returned soon, with Assassin in tow. Defeating a Servant, especially one with Magic Resistance like Ruler, was impossible under the conditions they were in, unless a miracle occurred. </p><p>Zouken smiled, gripping his cane as his insect familiars scoured the mansion for documents and information. </p><p>“Keep them there Ruler, I’m coming down to have a chat.”</p><p>A tense standoff occurred in the basement room, with Ruler holding Caules by the neck, blocking the passage way for escape while a red card flitted from finger to finger in her other hand, while the two mages stood on opposite corners of the room staring at her, their eyes darting between the open door and the visible escape passageway. </p><p>If one went for the doorway, the other would most likely go for the escape passageway, since even Ruler couldn’t be in two places at once. The problem was whether she had any abilities that could keep both of them from escaping. From what they had seen, her physical abilities were obviously high, and the card she was flicking in her hand was most likely able to be used offensively as well. Org’s train of thought led him to the conclusion. Only one of them was able to escape, and the chances were still absurdly low. The other would have to give their all in distracting Ruler, and Caules would have to pitch in too. </p><p>Ayaka and Org’s eyes met, his intent communicated with a glance and a few hand signals. </p><p>Escape, Ayaka.</p>
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<a name="section0097"><h2>97. Chapter 97</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 97</p><p>If attacks of magic wouldn’t work, then he’d have to go with physical objects. It looked like he’d have to bring out the Mystic Code he had prepared, though whether he’d actually land a hit was another matter. Still, all he had to do was distract Ruler. </p><p>She was still standing next to the emergency escape, keeping a firm stranglehold on Caules, though he was no longer gasping for air. </p><p>“dOn’T M-Ove.”</p><p>It was the first time they had heard her speak, her voice unnaturally gravelly and pitched, like she had just emerged into the human world after years of isolation and was learning how to speak normally again. It was obvious to the three mages that she was being controlled at this point, and that her mind was most likely impaired due to it, lowering her skill and physical prowess. Otherwise, Ayaka would have gotten caught a long time ago.</p><p>Caules looked at her slack face and glazed eyes, then glanced at Org and winked at him, tapping the Primeval Battery at his side. Org nodded, readying himself to act as soon as possible. </p><p>The gesture didn’t go unnoticed by Ruler, as her eyes lowered to the object at his waist, her hand reaching down to confiscate the device.</p><p>A dazzling glow lit up the underground room, sparks flying from the purple core as the blue rings around the Primeval Battery flashed an incandescent white. Shielding her eyes out of reflex, she was unable to avoid the worst of it, her retinas seared from the light as her hand loosened around Caules neck, dropping him on the ground. Throwing the battery into the air, he rolled away on the ground as far as he could, reinforcing his jacket as much as he could, dragging it over his head as he did so. </p><p>*DZZZYKUN!*</p><p>The whir of electricity reached a fever pitch, the buzzing reaching new heights as the energy inside overloaded, courtesy of Caules special design when he made it. The metal container grew red-hot, the bars around the core buckling and melting, ozone filling the air. With a sharp crack, it burst apart, showering Ruler in molten metal and electrical discharge as tendrils of electricity extended from the core, slamming into the metallic surfaces nearby, as well as Ruler and Caules prone body on the ground. Thanks to the crystal that had harboured an electrical type Elemental in it, the capacity of energy it was able to hold was vast, and it could be easily channeled for Caules purposes. In this case, to explode. </p><p>Ruler was fast enough to lift her arms to shield herself, half-dazed though she was by the flash, and her body only suffered minor wounds, more tears appearing in her blue tights, with the collars on her arms blown to pieces. A deep wound from the metal scorched all the way to her bone, but with the dulled sense she possessed, it didn’t hurt at all. </p><p>Zouken paused, then redoubled his speed, his insects hurrying down the long elevator shaft downwards. </p><p>Even so, she was a Servant, albeit with reduced abilities and parameters, so she was able to recover quickly. Just in time to hear footsteps rushing for the doorway leading to the corridor outside. </p><p>From the steam that Org had produced with his water magecraft, Ruler burst forth, aiming straight for Ayaka’s back as she rushed at the doorway. </p><p>The growling of the engine was all the warning she received before she twisted her body, slipping cards into her hands to block the grinding teeth of the chainsaw that bore down on her, golden sparks leaping between the two as the cards defiantly withstood the custom teeth of the chain, each tungsten carbide teeth going 300 miles per hour on the motor, the inner mechanism driven by a unique system of Org’s magecraft, with water inhabiting much of where the engine was supposed to be. </p><p>The flash and explosion, coupled with her impaired mind and senses allowed Org to catch her just as she jumped out, intercepting her and allowing Ayaka to dash out of the door. </p><p>Seeing Ayaka leave, Ruler flexed her arms, planting her feet firmly on the ground and pushed. With barely any effort, Org’s chainsaw lifted into the air, repelled with pure strength. Dropping the ruined cards in her hands, Ruler swiped two more cards from the air, the edges glowing a brilliant green.</p><p>“Huah!”</p><p>Throwing his gun-like Mystic Code at her directly, Caules used as much strength as he could muster, reinforcing his arms to give it just a little more speed. </p><p>With two targets, she was forced to throw one card at the gun to deflect it, while the other card zipped through the air into Org’s wrist, cutting into it deeply, a gush of blood immediately seeping across the face of the card and dripping onto the floor. </p><p>Org stumbled back, reinforcing his arm to close the muscles as they became rigid, water flowing around his arm and around the card to pull it out and plug the wound, the clear water turning red from the profuse flow of blood. </p><p>While Org was busy dealing with the wound, Caules charged forward, aiming to physically tackle Ruler. </p><p>He had nothing left, grabbing a nearby rock paperweight in the hopes of at least distracting her, even for a second. The more time they bought Ayaka, the more likely she was to be able to contact El-Melloi or Tohsaka and have them return.</p><p>“LiOns…”</p><p>A burst of light no unlike the explosion Caules had made earlier threw him off balance as he swerved away from the source, Org’s eyes dazzled as well as a lion of light appeared, summoned by Ruler. With a jerk of her head, the lion bounded off in the direction of Ayaka, chasing her down. </p><p>“विस्फोट”</p><p>A bullet of water burst from his fingertips, Org banking on the hope that the lion didn’t have Magic Resistance like Ruler did. Sure enough, the spinning cone of water lanced into its flank without disappearing, the lion stumbling before it reached the door, dragging its back legs behind it.</p><p>Without wasting the chance, Caules went straight for the lion, rushing with as much speed as he could muster, but a hand lashed out and slammed into his stomach, throwing him back into the wall. </p><p>Meanwhile, Ayaka sprinted down the corridor, her black hair swinging wildly as she tried to remember the directions to the second escape passage placed at the far back of the underground complex. </p><p>*skreeee*</p><p>Skidding to a halt, she stared as hundred of insects, large and small, converge into a large blob in front of her, a teeming mass of writhing and wriggling bodies that gradually changed until it became something more humanlike, an old man wearing robes and holding a cane to support his hunched back. </p><p>“Looks like I came just in time.”</p><p>With an aged voice that belied his true age, Zouken’s gleaming black eyes stared her down. </p><p>“Why don’t we have a little chat, hmm?”</p>
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<a name="section0098"><h2>98. Chapter 98</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 98</p><p>Manaka flapped her wings, hovering between Zouken and Ayaka. The beady black eyes of the crow looked just like Zouken, the light absorbed by the pure darkness. </p><p>“Are you Matou Zouken?”</p><p>Judging by his appearance, he seemed similar to the photos they had received regarding the possible Master candidates, including those of the Three Families. Including the magecraft she had witnessed just now, it was almost definitely him. </p><p>The old man simply laughed, completely ignoring the hostile intent directed at him. </p><p>“Ah, it’s good to know that even the Mage’s Association knows about a rotting old man like me. I thought my name would have disappeared from their memory at this point.”</p><p>After living for centuries in a backwater country, at least by the Clock Towers standards, it was inevitable that the Matou name would decline and disappear from the social circles of magi from the Clock Tower, with the only mention of them being when the Holy Grail War was brought up, and in the records managed by the thirteenth department, Policies. </p><p>Ayaka refused to drop her guard, the fact that the magus in front of her had survived for at least six centuries, and experienced every iteration of the Fuyuki Holy Grail War was enough to keep her on her toes. Pulling the irregularly shaped knife out it’s sheath, she dragged the edge across her palm.</p><p>“How hasty, do the younger generation of magi not know the meaning of patience. However, if that is what you want, then I’ll oblige you.”</p><p>The whirring of insectoid wings became apparent, long white segmented bodies, three blood-red eyes and long, slender transparent wings that spun rapidly appearing behind Zouken. Tiny, silver teeth packed their mouths, and a long blade-like tail with a sharpened tip hung below their slender bodies. </p><p>They filled the space behind him, a swarm that blocked the view of the corridor beyond, clicking and whirring noises assaulting Ayaka’s ears. Seeing the swarm, she knelt and placed her bleeding palm against the ground, smearing the blood into a pattern of old design, calling forth a resemblance of dark woods and musty earth, where beasts of fantasy lurked, and the pale moon shone to create deep shadows. </p><p>“ ע̵̧͎̝͙̙̗̆͜͜͝ו̸̻̔̐̃̈̿̈́͠͠ר̸̡̭͎͔͎̬̘̈́̎̐̽̿ב̷̧̡̱̠͍̹͔̪̓̓̕͝ "</p><p>A garbled sound issued from her throat, in a language which Zouken tentatively identified as Hebrew, but was unable to be certain owing to the quality of the sound that distorted the words heavily. A black mist descended around her as the symbol blackened, the scent of rust, blood and earth filling the corridor. Rustling leaves, a phantom sound echoed in the tight space. </p><p>In front of the mist, Manaka expanded her wings once more, holding back the tide of insects rushing at Ayaka to buy her more time. The black feathers filled the corridor, forming a wall to protect her master. Pitch black feathers were sliced into tufts of vanes, small black threads floating in the air. The swish of bladed tails cutting into the quills becoming a cacophony of noise. In seconds, the cloud of black had given way to the silver swarm, the angry buzzing noise growing grating on Ayaka’s ears. The swarm descended towards the black mist covering Ayaka.</p><p>“CAW!”</p><p>Like a warcry, a multitude of cooing and cawing burst out of the cloud, as deafening as a blaring siren. Shiny beaks and beady eyes emerged, the mist resembling a monstrous beast with hundreds of eyes and mouths. As one, the birds launched themselves at the swarm, missiles of black clashing with slender silver sticks. </p><p>Black beaks tore through the chitin wrapping the rubbery bodies of the insects, cutting through the exoskeleton easily and ripping the thorax and abdomens apart. A foul stench rose up from the dismembered remains of the insects, yellow fluid splashed across the drab grey concrete. Small flecks of translucent yellow organs fell from the open wounds, bits of red that resembled meat lodged in the intestines. </p><p>Some of the insects burst on impact when the crows hit specific spots, grey chitin going everywhere as the translucent wings scattered across the floor. Certainly, not all the crows went unscathed, with some bugs reacting with enough speed to position their blades and slice the incoming crows in half, the familiars dying without even a squawk. The hardened exoskeleton of the insect cut through bone, meat and feathers easily, red blood mixing with the foul yellow ichor spreading in puddles from the numerous insectoid corpses. </p><p>Yet the number of crows far outnumbered that of the insect familiars, a lake compared to a pond. Within seconds, they were decimated, the massive cloud of densely packed crows bearing down on Zouken’s body.</p><p>When it was over, all that was left was the numerous piles of insect corpses and the odd crow remains covering the floor. At this point, Ayaka was forced to cover her nose and mouth with her sleeve to dull smell, her insides roiling at the unpleasant sensation in her nose and throat. Still she had to advance, and she had no idea whether Zouken was gone or not. It was probably safer to assume he wasn’t dead yet, considering how his existence was maintained. </p><p>Forcing herself to move, she ignored the crunching sounds entering her ear, hurrying past as she stepped on the insects and birds. Leaving the revolting sight behind her, she ran for the exit, her footprints stained with the fluids and blood from the massacre. </p><p>On the surface, the insects reformed, hard shells turning into slime that molded and shaped itself like a balloon being blown up, curves and lines twisting and contorting until it fit the image of his soul. </p><p>“Looks like I’ll have to use Ruler.”</p><p>Deep in the earth, Ruler stood over the unconscious bodies of Caules and Org, the bones in their legs shattered. Lifting her head, she looked at the open doorway, proceeding to walk through and turned right to follow Ayaka.</p><p>“Urrhhhh…”</p><p>An electrical current ran through Caules’ body, a simple spell meant to shock him awake. Immediately upon awakening, he felt the pain in their legs transmit to their brains, the sheer agony almost making him cry out loud, if it wasn’t for the fact that Ruler might hear him. </p><p>The spell Caules had used was quite simple, monitoring the electric waves for activity, and when the mind plunged unconscious, the spell triggered, sending a substantial electric shock to jolt the person. His bio-electricity magecraft had made some headway into researching how to affect the body, including the brain, so this much was at least possible for him in the midst of a fight. </p><p>As expected though, they were no match for a Servant. In the most basic of terms, they completely lost. They were barely able to make a scratch on her, while she easily breezed through their attacks and brutally incapacitated the two of them. </p><p>Well, if they activated the Workshop here, they might stand more of a chance though. </p><p>Looking at Org, he noticed the wound on his wrist was still binded by the membrane of water surrounding it. At least he wouldn’t die for now. Looking at the magic circles in the center of the room, he was relieved to see them still intact, though it looked like his computer was destroyed in the fight, no, the pitiful struggle they put up earlier. </p><p>Dragging himself over to it, he pressed his hand against the array, focusing his od into it. </p><p>“Circuit close”</p><p>The array hummed to life, the magic arrays that still stood across the mansion activating as they became on, the Workshop they had set up coming to life once more after the massive shock of Ruler’s arrival disabling it. </p><p>Earlier, before Ayaka came down, he had been working on a fix for it on his computer, and to some extent he had managed to repair it. After Ruler arrived, he had focused on keeping her attention off it so that she wouldn’t completely dismantle it by simply touching it with her Magic Resistance skill, and waited until Ayaka was far enough and Ruler left to chase her before he could switch it on again. Hopefully this would give Ayaka an edge in getting away. </p><p>Resting his battered body against the wall, he pulled out a spare Primeval Battery from the ruins of one of the wooden cabinets, dragging Org over and placing his hands on the battery and Org, channeling the electricity to heal himself and Org, bit by bit, even if it seemed insignificant. </p><p>“El-Melloi...Gray...Flat...are you guys doing fine?”</p>
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<a name="section0099"><h2>99. Chapter 99</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 99</p><p>It was a general rule that humans couldn’t face Servants. Even the weakest of Servants possessed strength and speed that could rival Olympic-level athletes, like a writer who had never trained in his life gaining enough strength to dent steel doors with a punch, or a dancer able to run a marathon without breaking a sweat.</p><p>However, it wasn’t completely out of the question that certain humans, under the right conditions of course, could theoretically face a Servant on equal ground and at least hold their own, if not outright winning in some cases.</p><p>Sayjou Ayaka was not one of those individuals that surpassed the norm of humans to reach the realm of combating Servants, even as a magus. Even if she were to possess a greater Magic Crest, or live for another century and refine her magecraft, she still wouldn’t be able to fight a Servant head on, though the time it took for her to be defeated would undoubtedly be longer. </p><p>But…</p><p>Ruler was now a shell of her former self, her mind slipping away with each passing moment as the worm in her spine asserted control over her brain, issuing orders and directing her body to act in accordance to Zouken’s will. As a result, her parameters were lowered, the Servant no longer recognized as ‘Artoria Pendragon’. The flow of mana from the Holy Grail that originally was meant for supporting the Ruler-class Servant stagnated, the system failing to register the presence of Ruler, though the minimal amount needed to sustain her still existed. Still, it was but a mere trickle, degrading her abilities in a way similar to what Saber experienced with Shirou. </p><p>Zouken was also feeding her mana, but after what happened with Rider, he only had so much he could give her. In the end, she was a shadow of a Servant.</p><p>Right now, Ayaka was also strengthened in the presence of the Workshop, the place where a magus was supposed to be strongest.</p><p>Traditionally, a magus was dedicated to reaching the Root, and to do so each pursued their own path of research. To conduct that research, one needed a laboratory, a place to conduct their studies, much like how a scientist would. Hence, they would construct a Workshop. </p><p>Just like a normal laboratory that would supply scientists with the necessary apparatuses and equipment for their research to advance, be it simple items such as beakers, thermometers and test tubes, to state of the art particle colliders and supercomputers, a Workshop also housed the tools that a magus needed to make headway in their research. In some cases, the entire physical structure of the Workshop itself also became a crucial tool for the magus, depending on what they researched. </p><p>In Waver Velvet’s case, he only needed a simple study, since his forte and path of research was more of a theoretical side that required him to do more thought experiments than actual practical ones, with mountains of paper for him to record his thoughts. He did possess magical tools as well, but they were mostly basic ones that assisted him in basic ways, such as recording devices, measuring stones and such. </p><p>It was also possible for a Workshop to be built specialized towards becoming an offensive tool, used for battles between magi. Even a regular Workshop could become a weapon, so it wasn’t hard to imagine what a Workshop designed with the specific purpose of being used as such would achieve. Gurdoa Davenant crafted a Workshop within the sewers of London, setting up a Bounded Field in conjunction with an altar of Zeus, then summoning Phantasmal Beasts to collect human lives for the purpose of fueling his efforts in reaching the Swirl of the Root. That same energy could be easily channeled within the Workshop into devastating lightning strikes that could easily warp metal and blast through concrete. </p><p>It just so happened that when Luviagelita Edelfelt commissioned the mansion to be built, she specified the Workshop to be installed according to her requirements, like all her other mansions. Which in this case, included magecraft amplification through gems planted in magic circles arranged throughout the walls, floors and ceilings of the mansion, underground complex included. </p><p>The Earth. The Moon. The stars. The Sun. </p><p>All of them had a place in the system of solar bodies that were known to humans since the dawn of mankind.  Accordingly, the nine planets also were given different positions, the linking of the human body and the distant astral bodies formed by humans who required a system to affect the world. </p><p>Positions of power at places of great significance derived their strength from symbolism, calling upon the assistance of a greater power through formless communication crystallized as symbols and rituals, each a signal that resonated with intent. If humans were weak, then all they could do was amass power, seeking assistance from others and construct tools to assist themselves, all while honing their bodies and minds to surpass their weakness. In particular, for magi, limits were made to be broken, if they ever wanted to reach the Root. </p><p>“Here!”</p><p>Ducking under the card flung above her head, she narrowly dodged the ensuing explosion when it impacted on the ceiling, flecks of concrete spraying on her body and hair. Placing a palm against the wall to stop her fall, she pushed off against it and ran again, another crow flying towards Ruler only to get sliced in half by the razor sharp cards that she seemed to have an endless supply of. If it could slow her down, even by half a second, it was worth doing. </p><p>The flock she had summoned earlier to deal with Zouken was almost completely gone at this point, having sent three quarters of the flock to hamper Ruler’s advance when she caught up with Ayaka. The swarm of crows barely lasted a minute, with flashes of red and green within the constantly shifting cloud of black feathers. Fangs of light tore through the flesh of her familiars, feathers crunched beneath the jaws of majestic lions, as they leaped and arobiting crows out of the air, their paws batting them as their entire body became a weapon to crush the crows against the walls. </p><p>At least she didn’t have to worry about her magic energy being siphoned to maintain her command over the crows, but the lions had chased her down faster than Ruler, displaying agility beyond the Servant, and she had been forced to deal with them, slowing her enough for Ruler to catch up with her. Seriously, being able to brute force her way through collapsed rubble and like that shouldn’t even be possible for a Servant, but it happened. </p><p>After Ayaka had collapsed the corridor on top of the summoned lions and crushed them, breathing a sigh of relief, Ruler had come crashing through the concrete and steel rebar. </p><p>At this point, Ayaka knew she couldn’t outrun Ruler or hide from her, with the no hiding spots remaining, and no more places to run to except for the secondary emergency exit, which she wouldn’t be able to open if Ruler was right behind her. </p><p>There was only one more option left. </p><p>Fight Ruler, and win. </p><p>Damn it!</p><p>Cursing in her mind, she desperately ignored the pain from the bite marks in her leg, a souvenir left behind by the lions she had crushed. Dragging her bloody legs through the doorway, she pulled out the doll she always carried wherever she went. </p><p>“似̴̧͖͖̮̘̰̘͙͇̞̝̖̠̠̼̘̟̙͙͔̝͙̪̣̀͑́̆͂̅̏̆̿̑̈͊͐̎̈́̾͗̋͆͒̾̒͑̕̕͘͜͠ͅせ̸̢̞̮̝͉̰͕̺̺̮̰͍̺͊̽̈́͆̑͌̎̿̀̄͑́̈́̒̐̂̾͝る̷̢͕̜͖̟̣̞̲͎̌̾̈́̍̌̂̇̒̈̌̌̔̏̈̓͆̅̂͐̉̂̚͠”</p><p>Wisps of black smoke seemed to enter the plain white cloth doll, then it changed. The threads shifted, forming shapes it previously didn’t possess, colors appearing on the chest and legs, gold lines and blue with black criss crossing it on the legs. Hair grew out of the head, eyes and mouth appearing, even the body shape changing as the cotton stuffing shifted the ratio to match Ayaka’s desire. </p><p>In seconds, it was the spitting image of Ruler, as close as a cloth doll could ever imitate her. At the same time, Ayaka arrived at the center of the room, the branches creating a circle which she entered.</p><p>The room was her Workshop, linked to the rest of the magic circles in the base to achieve maximum effect. Leaves and vines covered the walls, grass brushing against her bare feet as she kicked off her shoes and sat down on the floor. A tree sprouted from the ground to the ceiling, amulets, talismans and discs with various designs hung from the branches, each and every one of them made with natural materials, wood, stone, bones, twine, feathers. Their positions, when viewed from above, formed a pentacle, the placement precise and purposeful. Breathing in the scent of the dirt beneath her feet, Ayaka started the incantation as Ruler arrived behind her at the door. </p><p>Crows appeared, resting on the boughs of the elder. White flowers bloomed, thorny vines and ivy creeping across the ground like snakes, slithering towards Ruler in the grass. The luminescent moss lighting up the room dimmed, and then the light disappeared entirely, leaving only the electric lights from the corridor outside as the only illumination into the pitch black room. </p><p>Without hesitation, Ruler charged into the room.</p>
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<a name="section0100"><h2>100. Chapter 100</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 100</p><p>The moment the Servant entered the room, her skin crawled, a tingling sensation running across her entire body. If she still had an intact mind, she would have instantly retreated, sensing the danger that was lurking within. </p><p>As it was though, even with her ingrained instincts screaming at her body to move, her reactions were dull, the body parts unresponsive. Unable to trigger her reflexes instantly, her arms and legs were caught by vines furiously growing out of the ground and hanging from the ceiling, entangling her in cages of green matter. </p><p>Catbriers crawled up the slender limbs, thorns pricking her skin as they tried to pierce her skin, but even when weakened, they were still unable to break through and draw blood. In the end, all they did was irritate her skin, her Endurance parameter allowing her to overcome the discomfort. </p><p>Ruler didn’t stay idle. Bracing her feet securely against the ground, she pulled against the vines, her legs straining as they sank into the dirt, her own strength causing the thorns to finally sink into her skin and break open small holes for the precious red liquid to flow down her legs and into the dirt.</p><p>Unlike the vines she had created during the elevator skirmish earlier, these vines were much thicker and numerous, securely anchored around the room at various points deep into the surrounding earth, even cracking open the concrete walls and floors to do so. Still, Ruler was able to strain them bit by bit, the fibers stretching as she utilized her natural leg strength. </p><p>A glow lit up the oppressive darkness, two lions appearing next to her. They were no longer the size of an entire truck, but were reduced to somewhere around the size of leopards, slightly smaller than an actual lion. But they were not to be underestimated. With sharp fangs, they bit and tore at the long rope-like vines restraining Ruler, uncaring of the thorns that failed to cut into their bodies of light. Rampaging in the darkness, they lit up a small section around them, perhaps half a meter or so. </p><p>Long sections of plant fell to the ground, some mangled by the lions, while Ruler continued snapping the vines with her own strength, tugging with all her might. With the weak light that the lions provided, she could just tell that the plants were surging forward again, gathering just out of sight to launch another attack.</p><p>Cards appeared, hovering in the air. Green, red and blue cards of varying designs etched onto the card faces spun, some of them glowing more intensely than the rest. With a wordless cry from Ruler, they flung themselves at the vines and plants, piercing the darkness with the meager light they possessed.</p><p>Small balls of inferno lit up the darkness, consuming plants with the hunger that flames possessed as it crackled on the limp bodies of the vines that were whipping around animatedly moments ago. Sections of green rope were cut apart, the green cards cutting them perfectly to reveal an undamaged cross-section, the edges unmarred. The wind itself whistled as the card sliced through the air into the darkness further ahead. The blue cards failed to completely cut through, their edges dull when compared to the razor sharp emerald weapons, but the plants they were stuck in grew weaker, flopping around as their movements grew slower and slower until they became completely still. On the other hand, the blue cards strengthened their glow, going from a mere candle to a bright torch. </p><p>Under the hail of cards chewing up the vines and the assistance of her lions, she broke free of the vines, her clothes almost completely torn up, blood dripping from a massive amount of minor cuts on her four limbs and torso, the results of her struggle with the greenbriers binding her. The vines were surprisingly tough, requiring her to use a large amount of her strength, causing the thorns to dig into her flesh and draw blood, creating self-inflicted wounds.</p><p>At any rate, she was able to escape the bonds quickly, only moments passed after she entire the room. Looking behind, she realized the door had closed, plunging the entire room into darkness, the only sources of light being her two lions and the glowing blue cards stuck in the dead vines. </p><p>“Incapacitate them.”</p><p>That was the order she received, so she would carry it out.</p><p>The Holy Grail? Arbitrating the war? There were no such thoughts in her head any more. The reason why she was fighting the mages didn’t matter, all that mattered to her was following the orders she was given by her Master. Absolute obedience that felt natural, a compulsion to follow the Master’s every whim. </p><p>It was also possible for Zouken to control a technically dead Servant, but their parameters would be more heavily penalized, and he would be forced to shoulder a heavier burden in supporting them, so in the end he had left her in a semi-living state, keeping her Saint Graph mostly intact. She wasn’t alive in the sense that humans were of course, but her free will was compromised to the point that she might as well have been a robot only capable of doing the bare minimum to achieve it’s commands.</p><p>Flinging herself with wild abandon at what she perceived to be the center of the room, her lions following her. The blue cards dissipated, granting her the energy they had absorbed from the vines, a meager amount that  barely amounted to a few drops of water in a pool, but nevertheless every last drop counted. </p><p>“―――――――Just a little more…”</p><p>Within the cocoon of darkness at the middle of the room, Ayaka struggled to keep her thoughts intact. Her entire body felt like it was submerged in ice cold water at the North Pole and in blazing hot magma from a volcano at the same time. She had lost her sense of touch, smell, sight, hearing and taste. She couldn’t feel the bark that her body should be resting on, or the cool air that suddenly grew humid when she activated her magecraft within the altar at the tree. Her body wasn’t covered in sweat, her teeth clenched so hard blood was filling her lips, yet she felt none of it. The flashes of light and explosions from Ruler’s struggle went unnoticed, though the almost tangible darkness did somewhat mute these noises and sights.</p><p>Pain ran up her spine, prickling going in her arms while her legs went numb and felt on fire at the same time. An immense weight seemed to be settling on her shoulders, her entire body feeling like it was being crushed at the bottom of the sea, no pressure beyond that even, and she was acutely aware of being incredibly alone. The entire world felt isolated, even as the exotic sensations, countless in number, rushed through her body. </p><p>Her mind unravelled, memories from her distant past flashing before her, overlapping with her recent days in Fuyuki, Flat juxtaposed against her parents, her sister standing next to Gray. Flute noises and low murmured whispering seemed to fill her ear, her mental fortitude slowly crumbling against the soul splitting headache that disrupted her concentration and focus, but with an iron will, she kept her mind from breaking, though it felt like a thread being blown about in a tornado, twisting and turning without reason. </p><p>Above all, she could sense it. </p><p>There was something watching her. Something she couldn’t quite place a name on, nor pin down it’s nature, but there was something out there, aware of her. </p><p>Mentally gritting her teeth, enduring everything happening to her body and mind, she sent a plea.</p><p>“Curse her.”</p>
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<a name="section0101"><h2>101. Chapter 100.1 (Bonus)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>100.1 Bonus Chapter</p><p>“IKKEEEEE!!!”</p><p>“Don’t die on me G!”</p><p>“What!”</p><p>“Shoot them in the head!”</p><p>“We’re just passing through.”</p><p>“You don’t need to fear anything any more, Daniel...not even DEATH!”</p><p>“Damn it! How does the zombie plant still have so much health?”</p><p>“I’m almost dead, we gotta take it down fast!”</p><p>“Had enough yet?”</p><p>The constant clicking of the guns mixed with the chaotic background noise, everything from bell whistles, to car tires grinding against the pavement, to slapping on hard plastic and the beat of drums, it all combined into the unique and familiar bustle of an arcade. </p><p>Pumping the shotgun over and over, Kairi and Flat fought against waves of zombies, mutant plants, killer birds and overgrown leeches, standing side by side as they met the monstrosities with an endless rain of shotgun shells. Come what may, they had each other’s backs, rescuing their partner whenever the hordes of zombies overwhelmed the other, grabbing bonus lives as much as possible to battle the bosses with their full power. They screamed, they shouted, though Flat was more often the one who made sound, while Kairi was more or less unphased except during the boss fights, where he unexpectedly became even more animated than Flat, practically roaring in the face of the abominations on screen, pumping his shotgun for all it was worth. It was to the extent that the other patrons of the arcade had their attention caught by his outbursts, but one look at him was enough to dissuade a second look. </p><p>“PUSH FORWARD!”</p><p>The duo was aiming for double SS rank in the final grade, and were burning up coins in pursuit of the high score. With the immensely experienced Kairi and the naturally talented Flat, it was actually within reach, though Kairi’s aim surprisingly was worse than Flat’s, while Flat was actually using magecraft to mess with the shotgun and buff his gameplay. </p><p>Of course, both of them were pragmatists and believed in using any methods to achieve victory, so they weren’t too bothered about it. </p><p>*crack*</p><p>“Ah!”</p><p>With a final reload, the plastic grips of the tubes broke at the same time for both of them. Kairi’s due to his naturally strong grip, and Flat’s due to his discreet tampering with the device. Without even pausing, the two fixed the tubes with magecraft and continued without missing a beat, pushing the light guns even further until they were constantly fixing the mock shotguns, with Kairi even unconsciously reinforcing himself to improve his aim.</p><p>In the floors above them, Assassin and Gray sat in the photo booth, Ayaka standing outside the curtains.</p><p>“Come on, just join us for one! It’s not like we get to come here all the time, so it’ll be nice to do something like this once in a while you know.”</p><p>Shuffling her feet, she looked at the ground, unwilling to step past the white cloth hanging over the entrance. </p><p>“But, do you really want to do it with someone like me?”</p><p>“Of course! It’s not like there’s anything wrong with you. Plus, I want to leave my Master with some memories before I leave.”</p><p>Assassin elbowed Gray.</p><p>“She might get sad after I leave, right?”</p><p>Gray stuttered, surprised Assassin would actually consider it.</p><p>“I’ll be fine Miss Ecchan! I might be a little sad, but it’s only natural. Everything that has a beginning must have an end after all.”</p><p>Gray’s smile showed how glad she was to have met Assassin, the Servant who had protected her against the Master of Caster and Berserker on the steps of Ryuudou Temple, later fending off Lancer, keeping her safe at every step of the way. Though she did complain sometimes, and did strange things. In the end, she was still the Servant she had summoned, and she couldn’t have asked for better, in her opinion.</p><p>“Awww, thanks! Don’t think I’ll work harder because you’ll miss me though. If you work hard, you lose, is my philosophy.”</p><p>“Ah, please don’t slack off too much Miss Ecchan.”</p><p>“I agree, please throw away the food wrappers after you’re done. And vacuum the floor too, you make a mess all the time.”</p><p>Like a ninja, Ayaka stealthily appeared in the booth with neither of them noticing to tell off Assassin, who was supposed to have the Presence Concealment skill. </p><p>“Gyah! Jeez, don’t just suddenly show up right in front of us like that. And I don’t make that much of a mess ok? It just, you know, the crumbs happened to hop out of mouth, and…”</p><p>The trio bantered and chatted, taking souvenir photos that Gray would later on treasure for the rest of her life. </p><p>“It’s time for our rematch!”</p><p>“You mean the twenty sixth defeat this year. And considering the year just started, that’s for one month only.”</p><p>“This time for sure, I’m gonna get ya!”</p><p>“Have you even trained?”</p><p>“I’m mentally prepared!”</p><p>The tanned girl dragged along her shy, brown haired friend and the cool glasses girl into the arcade, heading straight for the fighting games section on the upper floors. </p><p>The synth beats started up as they arrived at the rows of arcade cabinets, choosing the closest unoccupied seats to get started. Pulling out a purse full of coins, she smacked it onto the control panel, the coins clinking against each other. </p><p>“This time, I’m not gonna hold back! You’d better be prepared, ya hear me Kane-chan?”</p><p>“We’ll see.”</p><p>Sitting down, the two of them placed their hands on the controls after inserting the coins, one grinning like a demon, the other holding an impassive face that betrayed no emotion. </p><p>“Are you ready? GO!”</p><p>A deep male voice vibrated from the machine. The words “Round 1” and “Fight!” flashed across the screen, a red banner highlighting it as the transparent words cut across it.</p><p>“Iku wa yo!”</p><p>Without wasting any time, Kaede directed her character at Kane, slamming the buttons harder than necessary as she unleashed a combo of attacks at Kane, the old man she was controlling backing off as the young woman unleashed a series of devastating kicks, going high and low and mixing up her attacks to confuse her opponent, utilizing her fists as weapons too. Despite how many times she lost to Kane, Kaede wasn’t a bad player.</p><p>It was just that Kane was better. By a lot.</p><p>The cries of her character filled the air as Kaede’s was repeatedly bashed on the ground from left to right and then from right to left, her health bar depleting so fast it was almost laughable. </p><p>“Alright that’s cool.”</p><p>Just like that, one round was over.</p><p>“Grrr, I’ll get, I swear I will! Just watch me!”</p><p>“Maybe if you bow down to me and ask me to teach you, you’ll win after ten years of training under me.”</p><p>“Argh, shut up!”</p><p>Behind them, Yukika tried to calm them down, frantically providing support when they needed it such as a bottle of water or putting the coins in for extra time. </p><p>“YOU WIN”</p><p>“YOU WIN”</p><p>“YOU WIN”</p><p>“YOU WIN”</p><p>“YOU W-”</p><p>“GAHHHH!!! Why can’t I get you?”</p><p>“Just accept reality. You’ll never beat me.”</p><p>Glaring at her, Kaede growled, reaching for the joystick again.</p><p>“One more, one more!”</p><p>“We-we’re out of coins already Maki-chan.”</p><p>Yukika’s frightened voice squeaked out besides her ear, barely audible beneath the background noise. Checking the purse, she realized it was indeed, devoid of coins. </p><p>“Mooouuu, I thought we had enough to play a couple more! Next time I’ll save up more to beat you up, don’t worry about it.”</p><p>Stuffing the empty purse back into her pockets, she stood up from the chair, stretching her arms into the air above her.</p><p>“Ahhhh, it felt good to play again though. I feel like I learned something today, for sure I’ll win next time.”</p><p>“That’s what you say every time.”</p><p>“You wanna go, hah?”</p><p>Meanwhile, the flustered Yukika wavered between the two, waving her arms at the increasing aggression from the two. It was really just some teasing between the two though, and never ended up as anything serious. </p><p>Then a formidable presence made Kaede and Kane shut up to turn around.</p><p>“May I interest you in a match, mongrel?”</p>
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<a name="section0102"><h2>102. Chapter 102</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 102</p><p>“Aaahhh…”</p><p>Swinging his arms experimentally, he rubbed his shoulders and chest to check for any sore spots. Turned out, they were all sore. There wasn’t a single spot on his body that wasn’t sore, a dull ache in his muscles that hindered his movements and made his walking stiff, but amazingly, the swelling had mostly disappeared. </p><p>Originally, he had been compared to a plum when Caster first saw him, what with the bruises covering every inch of visible skin. But after a quick rest, he was almost as good as new on the surface, though he still felt a bit tired. A little soreness in his body was also something he could easily put up with. </p><p>I can’t believe he saved me with something like this, but it really is amazing―</p><p>Shirou’s thoughts turned to the sheath resting within his body, returned to him after Kuzuki made a full recovery, and the fact that it was most likely what his father had used to revive him on the verge of death, all those years back when he found him lying in the ash, surrounded by flames, debris and corpses.</p><p>He’d always assumed Kiritsugu had whipped out some kind of crazy healing magecraft to repair his body and sustain him until he was under the care of professionals at a hospital, but it turned out that he had used an artifact like this to keep him alive. To be honest, he felt like he didn’t deserve to carry something so important and powerful, and he’d asked Caster and Saber if they could carry it, since it was rightfully theirs. However, Caster had responded that this Avalon in particular didn’t belong to her, while Saber had told him to hang on to it, since he was in need of it more than her, being such a fragile Master with a high risk of dying easily. </p><p>Rubbing his chest, he walked around to the back of the temple.</p><p>In truth, he was thinking about his father because of where he was supposed to find Caster. After his training session with Saber had ended, he had been sent to look for her to continue his magecraft lessons, and had been told that she was around the graveyard behind Ryuudou Temple, so he had come in search of her.</p><p>But…</p><p>His feet slowed to a stop outside the graveyard, his resolve faltering as he came closer to that spot. He hadn’t been there for so long, and suddenly having to go there, even if he was just passing by to meet Caster, he just didn’t know how to feel about it. </p><p>“Ojii-san…”</p><p>That day, he remembered what he had told his father, on that porch that summer evening. Gazing up at the darkening blue sky, he had promised him to do what his father could not. </p><p>“You weren’t able to fulfill your dream?”</p><p>“Since you couldn’t do it―”</p><p>“I’ll do it for you.”</p><p>His last words to the man who had saved him, those very words that let his father rest peacefully. The serene smile that graced his weary face was something he couldn’t forget, even after all these years. Perhaps the only thing more memorable would be the on of the very first things he could remember in this life, the crying, joyful face of a man who had found salvation. </p><p>Yet, the crushing loneliness, the anger and sadness that came with his passing weighed on his heart, the memories coming back. He remembered sitting on the same porch the next week, looking at the stars, with no one by his side. Tucking into the futon, calling “Goodnight!”, only to remember that no one was there to respond to him. The only thing that he could hear was the crickets chirping in the summer nights, the gentle breeze of the wind lifting the leaves in the yard. </p><p>He’d cook portions for two, then realize that he’d overcooked, and call Taiga over to help polish off the extra portions. Incidentally, this was one of the reasons Taiga started coming around the residence regularly, though it was mainly because she could also sense Shirou’s angst. If Taiga hadn’t been there when he was stewing in the various emotions that came with his father’s passing, he knew he would’ve become much more introspective and brooding. As it were, even though Taiga also grieved for his father, they comforted each other during those days, and Taiga’s naturally energetic personality helped uplift his spirits, bringing a breath of fresh air to his life each day. </p><p>In a way, she really had been a reliable older sister back then, even though she had clutched him like a hug pillow and cried her eyes out quite a few times after the funeral. </p><p>With Taiga’s presence, the house no longer felt so empty, though it was still too big for the two of them. Then Sakura came along a few years later, and the rest was history. Tilting his head to stare at the sky, he wondered how the two of them were doing right now. Perhaps he could pay them a visit, or arrange a way to contact them somehow. </p><p>Hah, I can’t delay this any longer. </p><p>Looking at the cemetery in front of him, he knew that further delaying the inevitable wouldn’t do anything for him. All he would be doing would be wasting time. Gathering his thoughts and putting his emotions in order, he stepped into the graveyard, passing through the torii gate marking the entrance.</p><p>Short rectangular pillars rose from the ground in orderly columns and rows, each monument engraved with names. Many lay at rest in these sacred grounds, with dates stretching from centuries back to the present. The smell of incense wrapped around the entire place, hanging so thickly in the air that Shirou was sure he would be able to smell it on his own shirt after he left. Treading his way silently past the basins of water and flowers placed against the stone bases, he headed towards the mop of blond hair poking behind the gravestones. </p><p>Seeing the familiar headstone in the corner of his eye, he deliberately tore his attention away from it, no matter how much it beguiled his focus. Thankfully, he wasn’t passing right in front of it, so he was spared the sight of what he was sure was an empty, unkempt gravestone, abandoned due to the fact that he rarely visited it. </p><p>Unbeknownst to him, fresh flowers sat in a vase next to it, the gravestone looking as clean as the day it was unveiled. </p><p>He came to a stop a short distance away from her, seeing that she seemed to be absorbed at the grave in front of her. She knelt on the ground, her hands folded in her lap, her head bowed slightly, eyes closed. He couldn’t help but feel that he’d come at the wrong time. Taking a closer look at the grave, he realized the name inscribed on the stone was written in English. A...A-tr...um? The font was some form of cursive, but he could tell what the first five words were. Who was this person?</p><p>“You woke up rather quickly, Emiya-san.”</p><p>Opening her eyes, Caster turned to address him. Standing up, she brushed off some of the dirt on her knees. </p><p>“I expected you to stay unconscious for a bit more, but it’s good that you’re awake so quickly! The earlier we start, the more you can learn!”</p><p>Somehow, her smile didn’t seem to be as wide as he was used to seeing it. Was it just him, or did she look a bit melancholic? Seeing his troubled face, she walked over. Getting closer to him, she poked his arms, his face involuntarily stiffening as he tried to suppress a wince. </p><p>“You’re not pushing yourself though, are you? Hmmm?”</p><p>Shirou took a step back, shaking his head.</p><p>“Ah, I’m fine, we can proceed with the magecraft lessons.”</p><p>Caster stared at him, then nodded. </p><p>“Well, if you’re confident you can do it, then fine. I’m sure you know what you’re capable and incapable of doing. If you haven’t reached your limits, then that’s fine. Though if anything happens to you later, I won’t be held responsible okay.”</p><p>Taking his arm, she dragged him back to the temple, his protests and feeble attempts to pry her hands off unable to match up to her Servant-level strength. </p><p>The fresh yellow chrysanthemum rested against an alcove carved into the stone, lively petals bringing a vibrant atmosphere to the dull gray stone. Blown from afar by a mysterious breeze, pink petals scattered across the gravestone Caster was kneeling in front of earlier. A shaft of sunlight pierced the clouds, illuminating the polished granite. The inscription above the flowers in the stone read:</p><p>“ATRUM GALLIASTA.”</p>
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<a name="section0103"><h2>103. Chapter 103</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 103</p><p>Under the shade of the trees covering Mount. Enzo, numerous insects slithered through the undergrowth. Birds chirped on the branches, one or two occasionally stretching their wings to fly off. The monks in the temple swept the floors, prayed and meditated, as per their usual routine. </p><p>At the gates, an old man appeared, clutching a cane with his bent back. Casting his lightless eyes at the temple, he spotted a man wearing a business suit walking towards the gate. </p><p>Kuzuki approached him, stopping a few meters away from the small, elderly figure. </p><p>“Good Afternoon. Are you here to see someone at the temple?”</p><p>In all the years he had lived at the temple, he had never seen this old man before. He was certain that the man wasn’t a regular visitor, and could only be coming here for the first time, at least to his knowledge. Considering the circumstances, his position as a Master and the fact that his instincts were warning him to be wary of the old man, it was likely the stranger was linked to the Holy Grail War in some way. Perhaps a magus, or even a Master. Mentally preparing himself for a confrontation, he alerted Caster to the man’s presence, telling her to come while he tried to discern the newcomer’s intent.</p><p>To Shirou, it looked like she had just stopped in her tracks without warning, her face hidden from him as he was following behind her.</p><p>“Emiya-san, let’s go!” Her voice carried a note of urgency that was absent from her tone up until now.</p><p>Rushing forward, she went ahead of Shirou, the boy struggling to catch up behind her as she utilized the speed the Saint Graph gave her. </p><p>“That is correct. I have come to see a boy called Emiya Shirou. He’s an acquaintance of my granddaughter.”</p><p>The information was relayed to Caster, who in turn told Shirou.</p><p>“Do you know who he is?”</p><p>Shirou furrowed his eyebrows, struggling to control his breath as he ran down the dirt path behind Caster, heading towards Ryuudou Temple. Caster was worried that Kuzuki could suffer a preemptive attack by the mysterious person at the gates, even though her reinforcement was constant when under her Noble Phantasm tied to the Ryuudou Temple leyline. There was no telling how powerful the intruder was, or whether he had allies such as Servants. </p><p>“I think he might be Matou Zouken, but I’ve rarely interacted with him before. Why would he come to see me?”</p><p>Gathering his thoughts while running, he managed to come to such a conclusion, but he wondered what was his motivation. Could something have happened to Sakura?</p><p>“I see. I’m sorry to say, but Emiya-san is currently away from the temple, though he will be back soon. Would you be willing to wait for a few minutes?”</p><p>Kuzuki didn’t sense any hostile intent, but nevertheless, he could feel that something was wrong with the old man. The man hadn’t moved once, his feet, hands and torso all seemingly frozen in time. The only thing in motion was his mouth, when he talked. The white skin felt like it was plastered against his skull in a grotesque manner, the bones clearly poking beneath the tightly stretched skin.</p><p>So he’s a Master too. Zouken stared at the man standing in front of him, clad in a modern business suit without a crease in sight. Though he couldn’t sense any magical energy coming from the man, it was obvious to him that Kuzuki was a Master from the Command Seals that he could detect. He was after all, the creator of the Command Seals, and could easily sense their presence if he was in their vicinity.</p><p>I see, so this must be Caster’s Master. </p><p>The pseudo-Reality Marble set up around Mount Enzo that was passively running could be sensed by his familiars, protecting the temple within the Bounded Field that he, Justeaze and Nagato had set up long ago to isolate the Greater Grail from Servants and magi. Considering the fact that Assassin and Archer were based in the Edelfelt mansion, with Berserker at the Einzbern mansion and Lancer unknown, that left Saber, Caster and Rider. Rider was under his granddaughter’s control, so Saber and Caster were here, and Saber was that boy’s Servant, after seeing him with her at the school when Ruler first showed up and made her announcements, so this must have been Caster’s Master. </p><p>Why he didn’t show up before, he wasn’t sure, but he could at least ascertain his identity hereafter. For a moment, he wondered if he should attack him and usurp his right as a Master, but then the fact that he was standing in Caster’s territory dissuaded him. He had no idea what kind of defenses she had created here, so there was not much guarantee of a successful attack. In addition, he didn’t have Ruler by his side.</p><p>Dismissing the idea, he focused on the link with Ruler, the bug within her spine tied to him as one of his familiars. Only to find that the link was severely weakened, the connection between him and the Servant almost gone.</p><p>Teleport and heal.</p><p>These were the two commands he gave Ruler, two absolute orders that her entire will was bent towards obeying. The crimson Command Seals emblazoned on her exposed back lit up, the symbol of Casino Camelot fading away as sections disappeared, the single-use trump cards disappearing in a single stroke. Her body disappeared, sent to a far-off location where she could temporarily recover. Golden motes were left behind, quickly disappearing into thin air in front of Ayaka’s eyes as the cloth doll resembling Ruler crumbled to dust in her hands. </p><p>Hrm, doesn’t look like she’ll last long. </p><p>The damage to her Saint Graph was extensive, the curse-type witchcraft combined with formal craft to provide energy and a suitable ‘sponsor’ to strike her core doing irreparable damage to it. Even with the assistance of the admittedly powerful Command Seals, at best she only had two or three more days of existence left. There were only three Command Seals left, and if he used those too, he could probably extend her life by a few hours, give or take. Still, the limited time she had left was more than enough for his purposes. </p><p>The two stood at the gate, staring at each other in silence as they waited for Shirou to arrive. </p><p>Running from the sides of the building, Caster appeared, followed by Shirou, who was sweating and breathing heavily from trying to keep up with her. Despite his daily training, when Caster ran seriously, he still had difficulties keeping up, and she was already trying to slow down to accommodate him. </p><p>Going up to the two, Caster’s attention zoomed in on the decrepit old man standing at the gate. Her senses tingled, the Noble Phantasm she harboured in her heart failing to recognize the man as an ally. </p><p>A few pink petals went past Shirou’s field of vision, one of them lightly brushing against the back of his neck, almost making him feel ticklish. Then his breathing suddenly turned even again, the exhaustion he had been feeling earlier washed away as he seemed to gain a second wind from out of nowhere. Still, his clothes felt damp and sticky against his skin, but he was no longer heated from running earlier. </p><p>He spotted the old man after Caster did, walking up to them to talk to him as he immediately recognized his face. It was quite unforgettable after all.</p><p>“You came here to talk to me?”</p><p>Zouken nodded.</p><p>“I have urgent news for you. Ruler is being attacked by the Clock Tower mages. I would like you to provide assistance for her.”</p><p>Shirou immediately reacted to that, his back getting a little straighter as he clenched his hands into fists, just about ready to rush off to her aid. </p><p>“Where is she?”</p><p>The haste in his voice was unmistakable, with both Caster feeling like they had to restrain him before he ran off by himself. </p><p>“She’s at a mansion in Miyama, in the foreigner’s district. I’ll guide you there, time is of the essence.”</p><p>Taking advantage of his hot-bloodedness, he turned around, ready to leave with Shirou in tow. </p><p>“Wait, how do we know we can trust you?”</p><p>Caster barred Shirou’s way, his chest bumping into her arm as she questioned Zouken. The fact that he had come directly to Shirou was strange. </p><p>“I had been keeping an eye on the Holy Grail War, to ensure that nothing would happen to affect my own family. Ruler’s appearance that night alerted me to the fact that something strange was going on with this war, and when the Clock Tower mages started attacking her after luring her to the mansion, I knew I needed to contact one of the other Masters to help her. Their battle destroyed the Bounded Fields that preserved the secrecy of the mansion, so I was able to detect their conflict.”</p><p>“Why come to him then? Also can’t Ruler defend herself against mere mages?”</p><p>“The mages must have prepared a trump card to deal with her if they were confident enough to purposefully lure her to their base. As for Emiya-kun, I came for him simply because his Servant, Saber, is supposed to be the strongest class in the War.”</p><p>Zouken provided legitimate reasons, some true, some false, some a mix of both. Caster narrowed her eyes, but Kuzuki’s words stopped her from questioning him further. </p><p>“Caster, if Ruler truly is in danger, then we need to hurry. Losing her would mean losing her assistance in investigating the Greater Grail. In addition, with the company of Saber and you, it should be a relatively safe affair.”</p><p>The telepathic message made sense to her, causing her to turn to Shirou. </p><p>“Go get Saber Emiya-san. We’re following him.”</p><p>Shirou, who was about to try convincing her that they needed to help Ruler, was relieved that he didn’t have to argue with Caster, rushing off to fetch his Servant.</p><p>Zouken didn’t show any emotion on the outside, but on the inside he was certainly grinning. </p><p>“Sakura, tell Rider to get ready.”</p>
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<a name="section0104"><h2>104. Chapter 104</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 104</p><p>With Shirou in Saber’s arms, and Kuzuki running with Caster’s reinforcement, they quickly reached the Edelfelt mansion, now a pile of ruins that was visible to the mundane world. Already, there were some people looking at the wreckage, wondering what had gone on, and in the distance sirens could be heard. It was a stroke of luck, or rather part of Zouken’s careful engineering, that the battle between the mages and Ruler happened underground out of sight, rather than on the surface. Even for Zouken, the consequences would have been dire if magecraft was exposed. </p><p>With the help of Caster’s illusion magecraft, they were able to mask their entry into the wreckage, carefully making their way to the underground complex with Zouken’s guidance. </p><p>Wooden furniture smashed to pieces, plaster and concrete strewn across the grass of the lawn, with barely a single wall as tall as Shirou’s chest still standing. It was amazing that the debris didn’t fly to the other estates nearby, but the Bounded Fields manages to contain some of the damage moments before they completely failed against Ruler’s Magic Resistance, and with the Edelfelt’s financial ability, it was easy to buy a mansion that was separated by one road from all other surrounding estates, essentially an island in the district.</p><p>Leaping over the well-trimmed hedges and gleaming iron pike walls painted in black, the four of them entered the mansion grounds, with Zouken waiting ahead of them on the driveway, his insect familiars having formed his body already. It was disconcerting for all three when they first saw it demonstrated, save for Kuzuki, who was too busy considering how to maim and eliminate such a creature. </p><p>“I felt the disturbances emanating here, and sent my familiars over to check. I assume that something happened to the Bounded Fields that suppressed magical energy and outside surveillance, because I was easily able to view the insides of the mansion, or what was left of it. I managed to catch a glimpse of Ruler entering the ruins, and then she was gone. After that, I sent a familiar after her into the ruins to investigate, but it was quickly crushed by the mages who were fighting against her.”</p><p>The flow of events were somewhat based on what had actually happened, and was largely true to an extent. Still, Caster couldn’t help but look around in suspicion. Would the Clock Tower mages truly attack a Servant just like that? Especially one of the Ruler class, it didn’t make sense for them when in previous wars they had simply sent participants to become Masters. Her expression didn’t go unnoticed by Zouken, but he remained calm. </p><p>Shirou looked at the ruined mansion around, stunned by the sheer destruction wrought by the ‘battle’ between Ruler and the mages. It looked like a comet had smashed into the center of the mansion, flattening the entire structure, which he estimated to be almost as large as his own residence, if not even bigger. Actually judging by how far the walls on the far side seemed to be, it probably was at least another half larger than his. He barely paid attention to Zouken’s words, awed by the sight in front of him. Even though he had seen the immense might of Servants clash against each other before, property destruction of this scale was still something he had seen for the first time. </p><p>Saber shared a similar reaction to Caster, but she was also surveying the surroundings as well, looking for clues that might have survived the wanton destruction dealt to the mansion. Looking around, her eyes scanned the broken wall, pillars and floors, searching for something that could prove to be useful to them. </p><p>Kuzuki was the first one to see something of interest among the rubble that littered the land. </p><p>“Are those still active?”</p><p>Indeed, there were the remains of many familiars around them, with an eclectic collection that consisted of clay dolls, miniature golems, cubes, crows and corpses of actual humans. An arm hung over the broken fountain in the middle, the remaining water stained crimson and brown from the dolls and blood from the corpses of the crows. Bent wings, stray legs, an eye that had rolled to a stop against a round golem with half its body missing, it was like a grotesque graveyard for familiars. In fact, the corpses were still moving, though it was only to the level of twitching a finger or flapping their mouths uselessly, or what remained of it. Kairi’s necromancy was robust, outliving the man himself. </p><p>“Those should pose no harm to us or anyone else with the state they’re in.”</p><p>Zouken’s words were correct, though Shirou couldn’t help but continue staring at them now that his attention had been drawn to the remains. The human corpses especially, were so disfigured and mutilated to the point that they were barely anything more than sacks of meat given the ability to move. </p><p>Nonetheless, it was a sight that all magi were used to seeing, and Shirou quickly tore his gaze away from them. He too, had seen his share of bodies.</p><p>Stepping through the smashed pieces of the familiars, and then over the rubble of the mansion, they neared the entrance to the underground complex, with Zouken guiding the group. </p><p>Suddenly, Caster stepped away from the group and picked up something from the ground, lifting it out of an overturned wooden box that was splintered on one end after crashing into the wall. </p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>Kuzuki turned to ask her as the group stopped. </p><p>“We should hurry, Ruler may be in danger as we speak.”</p><p>As if to punctuate his words, outbursts of magical energy could be sensed below their feet, easily on the level of a Servant. </p><p>“Let’s go.”</p><p>Caster stuffed the papers into her pocket, catching up to the group as they headed for the stairs. But after catching a glimpse of the contents, she couldn't help but wonder as well.</p><p>What were they doing with rough schematics for the Greater Grail? A normal Master wouldn’t carry such diagrams around or study them. And now that she thought about it, having an entire team dedicated to one Master was abnormal too. While it wasn’t against the rules to have an entire team of people supporting a single Master, it was still unprecedented for the Fuyuki Holy Grail Wars. There were examples of having entire groups of support for one Master, such as the True/False Holy Grail Wars where Orlando Reeve created a formidable militia with Clan Catalin, and the Imperial Holy Grail War where the Japanese military was mobilized as combat assets for the Master of Assassin. Though these examples didn’t exist in the current timeline, it was obvious that there were advantages to having a large amount of skilled manpower. </p><p>Yet the previous Masters had not employed such methods, with most them bringing along one or two assistants at most to assist them. Part of this was due to the pride of the magi that participated, and another part of it was due to the fact that few magi were qualified to take part in a Holy Grail War, and thus were unsuitable for bringing along, at least in the eyes of the elite magi that were chosen. Of course, there were those who simply had nobody to bring, or those that worked better alone, and then there were others who didn’t trust anybody and thus worked independently. Whatever the reason, it resulted in the past Holy Grail Wars being mostly consisting of lone Master and Servant pairs, with barely any direct support teams behind them.</p><p>Caster ruminated in such thoughts, while they headed towards the underground complex where the magical energy was being released.</p>
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<a name="section0105"><h2>105. Chapter 105</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 105</p><p>Gray poked the carcass of the fallen lizard hybrid, the blood dried and crusted into brown stains on the grass and dirt. Side-stepping the brown patches, El-Melloi knelt and placed his gloved hand against its hide.</p><p>The body was cold to the touch, the winter night it had gone through freezing it and preserving the flesh so it didn’t fall apart. Even so, parts of its body had disappeared, namely the sensory organs such as the eyes. When Kirei had broken it, they had gone up in black flames, turning into smoke and vanishing. It wasn’t clearly visible, but most of what could pass as internal organs for the monster were gone as well, leaving a husk of bone and flesh. Only the rigid muscles prevented the body from collapsing like a deflated balloon, the flesh frozen stiff. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a small wooden box and opened it, withdrawing a pinch of powder that he scattered over the chest of the beast.</p><p>The powder changed color once it settled on the body, going from blue to red.</p><p>“Looks like it was killed at most a day ago, judging by the condition of the corpse and it’s stiffness. There are still traces of the necromancy Kairi used in its body, so it’s relatively fresh. Did you find anything, Gray?”</p><p>Gray nodded.</p><p>“There were some horse hoofprints around the area, around that area near where the trail ends.”</p><p>She pointed to the far end of the furrow in the ground that ran through Kairi’s camp. </p><p>“Not just there, but around the area where the big patch of blood was as well.”</p><p>Assassin chipped in, giving her own observations as well.</p><p>Further away, Flat leaned against a tree, placing his right palm against his chest.</p><p>“Play Ball.”</p><p>Closing his eyes, he opened his ears and listened. </p><p>Or rather, he opened his mind. There were no other magi who could do what he did, and in magical detection he was peerless. The best way to describe it was that he could perceive magical energy the same way a normal person would use their eyes to see things, or their ears to listen. It was completely natural to him, as effortless as breathing, like he was supposed to be able to do it from the day he was born. But such talent was most definitely unnatural, a result of the long dream passed down in his family. </p><p>Threads of energy hung in the air, various colors staining the threads, with different thickness and shape to them all. Sounds drifted into the ear, some honeysweet like a perfectly tuned violin serenading in the night, some as harsh as screeching fingernails scratching against a chalkboard. Myriad smells drifted into his nose, a banquet of all cuisines from the East to the West. The description didn’t do justice to what he perceived, and he would be unable to describe the world he could ‘see’, but suffice to say it was an amazing and bizarre place. </p><p>Within the mess of strands, colors, sounds and smell, he could spot something that seemed to be out of place among them. It didn’t really look out of place honestly, since the whole thing was just a riot of colors, but he had a gut feeling that it wasn’t supposed to be there. Reaching out with his hand, he grasped the thin thread, slimmer than the hairs on his head. </p><p>If Gray or El-Melloi had turned around to look at him, they would’ve seen him close his eyes, then reach out and grip the air. </p><p>He managed to get a hold of it, and slowly followed the thread to one of its ends. It twisted around, going back and forth, then terminating at the stump of a tree, which Flat walked right into. </p><p>If Zouken had been watching, he would have been perturbed by how Flat had just replicated his entire walking path from manifesting his body, stealing Kairi’s corpse and then disappearing again. </p><p>Kneeling, Flat opened his eyes and dispelled his magical senses, staring at the dirt and the darkness below the tree trunk. </p><p>Yep, there’s definitely something there.</p><p>Carelessly, he dug into the space between the roots and dirt to find the source. His hands closed around a slimy ball, buried in the darkness.</p><p>“Yosh!”</p><p>With a tug, he pulled it free from the dirt, the ball firmly encased in his hands. Opening his hands, the source of the energy trail he followed earlier was linked to this. A grub of a worm, a pale green that dripped with slimy liquid, curled up into a ball. Disturbingly, it looked like a certain organ from the male human body. A slender tail stretched from what seemed to be the bottom, wrapping around the ball it made as well. </p><p>Flat ignored the implied shape and went to work fiddling with it. </p><p>“Alright, let’s see. A little bit here, then move this, release that…”</p><p>Just like that, he was able to hack into the thread of mana connecting the familiar to it’s master, Matou Zouken. </p><p>Zouken paused on his way to the Ryuudou Temple. Sensing something wrong, he checked the connection to the familiar he had left at Kairi’s campsite to survey the area if anyone went there. </p><p>“Ah right, should probably hide this.”</p><p>Waving his hands around several times in an exaggerated manner, he disguised his work. The hand waving was purely optional as well, not really doing anything to help his magecraft function at all. </p><p>Zouken scrutinized the world through his familiar, the insect becoming his eyes and ears. </p><p>In front of Flat’s eyes, the worm uncurled itself and mewled on the ground, seemingly looking left and right. </p><p>“Looks pretty cool , like a small-fry game mob.”</p><p>That was Flat’s honest opinion as he stared at it, looked around, then it curled back into a ball again, entering an inert state. </p><p>Must’ve been an animal. Zouken withdrew his consciousness from the worm and continued to Ryuudou Temple. </p><p>Flat smiled at when the worm didn’t react to his presence. </p><p>“Guess it worked!”</p><p>Then he bent down and continued to ‘hack’ the stream, gaining a rough understanding of what Zouken was and where he was, while keeping his presence and actions hidden from the old man. </p><p>Just like that, he easily grasped the secret to his immortality and how to defeat it, all in an hour's work. Though he’d most likely forgot about it in a month. He had never been able to do the same spell twice in a row, with his magecraft so wildly inconsistent, yet strangely reliable as well.</p><p>In the process, he also found out that several were located in their very own mansion, and when he hacked into their senses, he found a very alarming scenery, instead of the usual mansion that he expected.</p><p>“Teach! We gotta head back to the mansion right now!”</p><p>Hearing the tone he was using, El-Melloi knew that Flat wasn’t lying. In the past, Flat’s actions had always turned out for the better, and he knew to trust his instincts. The three of them plus Assassin headed for the car, driving through the mountains back to the city.</p>
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<a name="section0106"><h2>106. Chapter 106</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 106</p><p>Flat juggled the worm in his hands, unperturbed by the sideway glances El-Melloi gave him, or the gaze of Gray on the thing. It was downright repulsive, with slime dripping off it onto the car floor, and the tail twitching every now and then, yet Flat was inspecting it like it was a piece of bread. </p><p>“I can’t believe that someone would actually do something like this to prolong their life though. It’s so...painful.”</p><p>El-Melloi kept his hands on the steering wheel, but his mind pondered what Flat had told him about Zouken, the founder of the Fuyuki Holy Grail War. He had grilled his former student when they got into the car, and had received a flood of information from Flat. </p><p>The fact that Matou Zouken, one of the three original founders of the Fuyuki Holy Grail War was still alive, wasn’t that surprising in and of itself. Magi could extend their lives beyond the human norm with some effort, all in pursuit of giving themselves more time to reach the Root. Some of them transferred themselves to a younger human body, some used puppet bodies as substitute bodies, some bound their soul and consciousness to objects to preserve themselves. There were many ways to achieve a prolonged life, with some more successful than the rest. Incidentally, many such attempts led to the accidental creation of Dead Apostles, since most Dead Apostles did indeed enjoy the benefit of an extended lifespan, which many magi sought to replicate. Sealing Designations of those delving into immortality or already achieved some measure of success in that field were also common. </p><p>In comparison to some cases he knew of, Zouken’s method could be said to be tame, though of course it wasn’t something that any ordinary magus could achieve either. </p><p>-centuries ago-</p><p>In a dark cave beneath the mountain the locals called Mount. Enzo, four people stood in the lightless cavern, the only glow coming from the glowing balls of light hovering behind the party. Multi-layered Crests were carved on bare rock over fifty meters in radius. Like a large observatory, rotating by itself in the deserts of Arizona, geometrical figures turning in place. A normal person would call it a spider’s web.</p><p>Without a word, the woman dressed in an elegant, pure white ritualistic dress with a white crown to top it all off walked toward the stone table in the center of the giant circle, lying on top of the cold stone surface, her face turned towards the ceiling. The man with unruly blue hair tightened his hands into a fist, but he could say nothing. The two other men besides him watched on calmly, though the oldest among them noticed his reaction. </p><p>Lizleihi Justeaze von Einzbern.</p><p>A magus that devised the entire system, also one called the Winter Saint.<br/>“Heaven’s Dress, descend.”</p><p>The words spilled from the dainty lips of the woman lying on the table. The old man walked towards her as a stone column descended from the ceiling onto the table, inexorably bearing down on her body. </p><p>*krCh*</p><p>Without her will, the Holy Grail would be just that, a Holy Grail. A mere wish-bringer, incapable of reenacting the ancient sorcery, Heaven’s Feel. In other words, a big lump of energy.</p><p>Putting a veiny hand into the coat, the white haired man withdrew a small, curiously shaped crystal dagger that shone with the multicolored rainbow within its white blade. </p><p>“I, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, witness the start of the Greater Holy Grail.”</p><p>For a moment, radiant energy pulsed from the ritualistic dagger, dazzling the room with rainbows. </p><p>Despite the eye-catching display, Zouken was unable to find any beauty in it, his eyes locked on the stone column now connected to the stone table, blood dripping from it and flowing into the Crests to complete the ritual. </p><p>Using his insectoid familiars as the foundation, he altered his body to transcend the limits of the human flesh, going beyond his mortality that was inhibiting his ambitions. Prior to the sacrifice of Justeaze for the formation of the Greater Grail system, he was already older than what was humanly possible, while also maintaining a youthful appearance to boot. The problem was that his way of maintaining his youthfulness was simply a slowing of the natural aging process that came with the human body. It wasn’t that he didn’t age, but simply that it took much longer for him to reach old age. His body would still eventually grow older until it failed him, his death to old age not impossible, but a definite occurrence in the far future.</p><p>Although it would still let him live for three centuries at the very least, Zouken refused to let himself die. Unknown to anyone other than himself, he was never able to recover from the shock of seeing Justeaze sacrifice herself. The moment her body was implemented into the system, letting her blood flow into the circle and connect the circuits, his heart broke. Clenching his teeth, he swore to himself that he would live until he saw the completion of their dream, when the Grail was filled and the gate to the Root opened, when they could perform the Third Magic. </p><p>Originally, he had the dream of creating a utopia. A world free of the suffering that filled human society. All hatred, sadness, grief, anger, he wanted to make it all disappear, but in the end he found it to be impossible. With the limits imposed by the human body, doing such a thing couldn’t be achieved, and he would never reach the paradise he wanted if he stayed human. In the end, he came to the conclusion that he needed to reach outside the limits of humanity, to the infinity of the soul. Reaching the Swirl of the Root, obtaining all knowledge and everything that existed in creation, it was all so that he could abandon humanity and create the paradise he dreamed of. It was only ever the means, instead of being an end, in and of itself. </p><p>Yet, he was judged to be fundamentally evil by Zelretch, and as Juzteaze had no successor, the basic blueprints of the Jewelled Sword were given to Nagato and his family. Why the Second Magician judged him to be so was never explained, but it could be perhaps due to what the man had seen in many worlds, his witnessing of the end of those that sought the ‘ideal utopia’, for Zouken was not alone in such a fruitless endeavour. </p><p>When he finally began to show his age, he decided to abandon his flesh and become a Wraith that tampered with the world through his insectoid familiars, losing the ability to degenerate physically. However, years of frustration at being unable to obtain the Holy Grail, and the deterioration of both his physical body, the insects, and soul, resulted in the loss of his memory, emotions and motivation. All that was left at this point was an abnormal obsession with immortality, and a vague memory of a woman in white. </p><p>Not to say that he had completely forgotten Justeaze, or that he had gone senile, but in any case he had lost sight of original goal, and was instead completely preoccupied with gaining immortality at this point. The means became confused for the ends, the dreams of utopia vanishing into the depths of mind.</p><p>Flat couldn’t immediately gain that much information of course, but he could roughly tell how Zouken was bound to the insect familiars as his body in the material realm, and knew that only an attack that directly targeted the soul would work. He wondered whether he could pull off something like that, putting his hand to his chin as he thought about ways to get past his pseudo-immortality.</p><p>It wasn’t long before they reached the gates of the Edelfelt mansion, and the moment the ruins greeted their eyes, they rushed out of the car and went through the gates, abandoning the car on the sidewalk. They could sense the lack of Bounded Fields, and Flat brushed the remains of the familiars behind the tightly packed hedgewalls with a gust of wind so that no one could see them from the gaps in the gate.</p><p>Below their feet, they could sense magic being used, ripples of mana reaching them even penetrating through the meters of dirt that separated them from the underground complex. There was definitely a Servant, or a Servant-level being down below, with such presence being impossible to mask. </p><p>“Assassin, let’s head down!”</p><p>Rushing forward, Gray entered the stairs, with El-Melloi and Flat hot on her heels.</p>
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<a name="section0107"><h2>107. Chapter 107</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 107</p><p>The soles of the heeled shoes barely made any sound on the concrete floor as Rider walked through the dimly lit hallways, broom and gun in hand. Passing the dead corpses of the crows and flying insects, she suppressed the urge to clean them up. She was for one reason, and she would fulfill her duty before everything else, even if it was something she had no desire to do in the first place. </p><p>The drab grey walls passed by in a flash as she checked every single room she passed, the Bounded Fields easily bypassed with her Magic Resistance, or if they were triggered, her innate resistance combined with her broom and gun easily took care of anything they tried to harm her. A trail of broken rooms were left in her path, deep gashes in the walls, collapsed bookcases and craters in both the ceiling and floor decorated almost every room she entered. </p><p>Killing all the mages might have been a difficult task for a human or a single magus, but a Servant was easily able to manage such a feat. It was just that she couldn’t immediately find them, unless they actively cast a large spell, so she had to manually search the entire base to locate her targets. Thanks to her physical body given to her by the Grail, she was able to do so rather efficiently and quickly, but it would still take some time for her to finally come across the mages, especially with how big the complex was. It was standard procedure for Luvia to build fully outfitted underground bases that could house a small army in every country that they had long term operations in, but the Fuyuki wasn’t the case. </p><p>Instead, it was a leftover from the first time that the Edelfelts had taken part in the Fuyuki Holy Grail War, and also their last time. They had gone to great lengths to secure their victory, including using their Magic Crest (Ore Scales) to summon two Servants, of the Saber Class no less, and built multiple bases in the city to serve as command posts. The mansion El-Melloi were living in was one of the backups, but it was no less large and extravagant as a normal magi’s main house. The underground base didn’t lose out in size as well, being as large as the modern bases that the Edelfelt used, though it was lacking in several facilities that most of the modern ones were equipped with. </p><p>The door was kicked across the room with great force, a resounding bang echoing through the hallways as the reinforced wooden door was launched into the opposite wall, the middle bent from the force she kicked the door with. The cabinets shook from the wind that accompanied the flying door, and the Bounded Fields were tripped, prompting an immediate response. </p><p>The air snapped, the moisture in it flash freezing as water spurted out from hidden outlets in the walls, instantly turning into ice that coated the walls, floor ceiling. Even the wall in front of the door outside sprayed water onto Rider’s back, her entire body encased in a thin layer of ice. For a moment, she stood as still as a statue at the doorway, her body caked in the white dust. </p><p>Then large spikes shot out of the ice, coming out from the thin layer of solid water covering her, appearing on the surface of the ice from head to toe. Her shape went from being humanoid to a freakish sculpture, each point deadly sharp and easily able to pierce human flesh, especially flesh that had been frozen and rendered brittle. The ice coating the insides of the room had also sprouted spikes, the entire room turning into a death trap.</p><p>A crackling sound filled the air, cracks forming in the ice, then it broke and fell off Rider in chunks, shattering on the ice floor. Pulling one leg off the floor, then the other, Rider walked into the room, crushing the ice spikes underfoot with each step effortlessly. Raising her gun, she placed a shot in each one of the cabinets lining the walls. </p><p>*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*</p><p>A hole appeared in each of the wooden doors, square in the center of the middle shelf. The bullet easily passed through the layers of ice, wood panelling and reinforced interior that was protected by magecraft. The documents inside were shot through, the papers now sporting a hole in the middle. Methodically, she checked each cabinet, and then after inspecting the room a bit more, she left, making certain there were no magi hiding inside. Walking out the door, she headed on to the next room. </p><p>Zouken had told her that they were likely too injured to move far, but she still had to make sure she found them soon, or there was no telling on what they could do the more time they were given. </p><p>Several doors away, Ayaka slowly stirred from unconsciousness, her muddled mind returning to the realm of the living. The strain of performing the spell had ruptured blood vessels all over her body, destroyed her nerves in one leg and burnt her back, turned it into a mottled patch of red and pink. It was a miracle she was still able to keep most of her limbs mostly intact. That was the burden of channelling enough energy to kill a Servant, even a weakened one.</p><p>The sound of bullets from the next room over startled her awake, and when they repeated again, this time closer, she forced her eyes open, the pain from her entire body rushing to her mind and forcing her to let out a small moan. Blinking groggily, she noticed everything was blurry, and groped around her with a numbed hand, looking for her glasses. It didn’t take long for her to find the black rimmed metal wire glasses that had fallen off during the ritual, but after clumsily bringing them to her face, getting the glasses and her face caked with dirt in the process, she realized that one side was shattered. </p><p>There was no helping it, she would just have to bear with it until she could get out. Upon the third set of gunshots ringing out, muffled from the body, she pushed herself upright with a newfound sense of urgency, resting against the tree. A sharp shock running up her left arm as she pushed against the ground, and when she looked down, she released three of her fingers had turned black and withered, the discolored skin reaching until the knuckles and stopping there. Looking at other spots on her limbs, she was slightly relieved to find that there were no other such patches, but it was disconcerting to know that this was the price she had to pay for the curse. </p><p>A crow flapped down from the tree to land on the dirt next to her, beady eyes staring at it’s master.</p><p>“Manaka...please get me behind the tree.” She said as the fourth set of gunshots could be heard, this time almost as if it were next door. </p><p>Feathers wrapped around her, shifting her position and rolling her body around the dirt as the bird spun her towards the back. </p><p>The gunshots sounded out right outside the door, the faint footsteps already audible outside the door. Something crashing to the ground could be heard, then the door knob clicked, and the door opened.</p>
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<a name="section0108"><h2>108. Chapter 108</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 108</p><p>Rider paused at the doorway, looking at the dark room beyond. Though it was faint, she could still sense the faint remnants of magecraft in this room, and traces of mana from a ritual of some kind. There wasn’t much she could see just from the light that shone in from the corridor, just dirt and crow corpses, so she manifested a headlamp and strapped it around her forehead .It was part of the tools she possessed as a maid, as it was a prerequisite for a maid to be prepared for everything, including cleaning in dark places. </p><p>The lamp switched on and lit up most of the room, shining like a star in the darkness. The tree in the center of the room loomed out of the darkness like a giant, the branches spreading across the ceiling and all over the room, with little to no damage from the battle that had just occurred. The charms and talismans were all still in place, albeit some were sporting a charred appearance now, with signs of damage on quite a few. </p><p>Ignoring the stench of the dead crows rising from the ground, Rider stepped through, her gaze vigilant as she turned her head this way and that, the headlamp illuminating the room wherever she turned to. The room was mostly bare besides the tree in the middle, with vines and covering the walls and fungi growing across the edges, with some on the ground as well. Yellow and brown mushrooms with thin stalks sprouted from the ground, aided by the humid atmosphere in the rain to grow abundantly. The rich earth provided nutrients for them, and they sprang up naturally under the ideal conditions.</p><p>Poking the crows with her broom to make sure they were dead, she waded through the bird corpses swamping the floor and made her way to the tree. The mana concentration was highest there, and she could sense that the tree was a powerful Mystic Code of the Workshop built here. The talismans and charms, the environment of the room, the crows, all of it was tied to the tree. A link to a higher power, a catalyst for casting Grand Magecraft, there was no telling what it could be, but she had to investigate it to see if it could provide a clue to where the maguses in the underground base were. </p><p>Upon approaching the tree, she noted that there were patches of blood on the ground, darker patches of brown than the soil around it. Shiny specks reflected  the light off from her headlamp, and when she crouched to investigate it, she noticed that there were shards of what looked like, glass, or crystal. Placing her hands on the dirt, she rubbed the material with her fingers, and realized that it was closer to plastic, without the brittleness of the glass or crystal. Dropping them back on the ground, she looked around some more, noting that the soil was disturbed here at the base of the tree, the dirt forming a shallow impression from somebody having sat there for a period of time, and then marks from the person moving as well.</p><p>Flicking her handgun upwards and into the darkness, she raised her entire arm and pulled the trigger, a bullet exiting the muzzle and traveling through the air to strike down the bird watching her from the shadows. Without a single squawk, the bullet pierced it’s throat and struck down the crow, the bird falling from the branch it was perched on and falling onto the ground. A dull crunch could be heard as the bones cracked from the impact, the wing folding at an odd angle, and a blood spilled from the hole on its neck onto the dirt.</p><p>She had felt a presence watching her the moment she had entered the room, but she had chosen to ignore until she had pinned down what it was and where it was. After seeing the crows and the tree, she had guessed that there would be crow familiars in the room watching her, and after seeing the tracksat the base of the tree, she could roughly guess where the familiar would be positioned to see both the back and front. Out of the corner of her eye, she had managed to spot it, and it was a quick job to eliminate it. </p><p>Stepping over it’s corpse, she went around the thick trunk to go over to the other side, following the tracks to the other side of the tree. </p><p>All she saw was more distrubed dirt, but it didn’t look like the person had moved anywhere else after that. It was like they had dragged themselves over to the other side, stopped, and then disappeared. </p><p>Hm…</p><p>Swinging her broom casually, the force she generated with that one swing obliterated the dirt around the area, clods of earth flying into the air as the soil was torn up. Exposed by the swing, she could see the body of the magus half buried in it, and with one swift shot, she put an end to her life. The bullet bored into the magus’s head and exited out the other end, easily breaking through the bone and skin. </p><p>After the tumult of sound, everything fell silent again, the dirt gathering in piles as blood leaked from the head of the magus. </p><p>Hidden in the dense leaves of the trees above Rider, just below the ceiling, Ayaka did her best to still her breathing, trying to remain hidden as she saw the fake body she had made destroyed. By climbing the tree and hiding in the numerous branches and leaves while simultaneously making traces of a body buried in the ground, she had hoped to fool the person coming in. Her element of earth helped here, allowing her to easily shape a clay doll, with the help of the blood from the crows earlier, the faux blood coming from them as well. </p><p>Hiding under the dirt would have been her first choice, but in the end she decided it would be better as a decoy for her to stay hidden in the tree. The dirt she had hastily used to hide herself in the soil probably wouldn’t have been enough to fully disguise her. </p><p>Her reserves were completely spent at this point, so she could only hope that Rider fell for the bait and left. If she wasn’t fooled and continued to search for her, she was doomed. Manaka had just been killed by her, and she had no strength left to cast magecraft. Her heartbeat resounded in her chest, the saliva drying up in her mouth as she looked on at Rider, expecting her to turn and meet her gaze at any moment. Clenching her fists and relaxing them, she did her best to still the trembling in her body, praying that the leaves didn’t shake too much. </p><p>“AARTTHUUUURRR!!!!”</p><p>The unmistakable roar made both Rider and Ayaka turn to the door, Ayaka almost falling from the tree in surprise. </p><p>Standing there, in the broken doorway that had just been smashed apart, was a tall warrior in dark armor, clutching a broadsword with intricate designs. The red eyes within the helm glared straight at Rider, a hate-filled gaze locking on to the familiar face it saw every waking moment in its mind.</p><p>Rider lifted her broom and whipped her guns barrel to face it, preparing herself for the incoming battle.</p>
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<a name="section0109"><h2>109. Chapter 109</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 109</p><p>Ruler’s battle did not go unnoticed by Angra Mainyu. Entrenched in the system of the Greater Grail, he was alerted to the fact that there was an increase in the energy output of the system, and he followed the flow of energy to find that Ruler was somehow still alive and fighting. Her mana signature from crashing into the Edelfelt mansion was still present, so Avenger was sent to investigate, leading to the current situation. </p><p>Avenger was encased in the black armor once again, her powers limited and her body fully under the control of Avenger, but nevertheless she was still a dangerous foe to face. </p><p>With a roar loud enough to shake the very room itself, shaking the soil and leaves on the branches, Avenger dashed into the room and swung her sword recklessly like a wild beast, the pitch black blade with red accents flashing through the air with such speed that Ayaka could only see the after image, a blurry sweep left in the air as her retinas failed to register the sight in time. </p><p>Like cutting through cake, the thick trunk of the tree almost two meters in diameter was slashed in half, the sword reaching for Rider who was standing beside it. Even with Rider’s enhanced sense beyond the reach of normal humans, she was still forced to raise her broom in a hasty block, the blow pushing her back as she struggled to anchor her footing on the loose soil she had torn up earlier. Her feet were driven into the ground, the dirt going up to her ankles as she was buried into the brown earth. The broom, a shape shifted version of Excalibur Morgan, bent from the blow, the red shaft curving inwards as sparks flew between the sword and broom, metal grinding on metal as Avenger refused to let up. </p><p>Slowly but surely, Avenger pushed back Rider, the maid’s feet sinking deeper and deeper into the ground, unable to extricate herself from the deadlock as Avenger brought the sharp edge of her sword ever closer to Rider’s chest. The red shaft trembled as Rider strained her muscles and strength to their limit, but the fact remained that she was braced on unstable, loose ground, while Avenger was bracing herself against the stump of the tree and it’s base, securely and steadily pushing against it, the roots of the tree anchoring the stump solidly in the earth. </p><p>It was stroke of luck when Avenger broke the even the upper part of the stump, the strength she was exerting proving too much as the even the short amount of wood that shouldn’t have been possible to break with the lack of leverage shattered into dust, breaking her footing and allowing Rider to suddenly push Avenger back with little resistance. The moment she did so, Rider wasted no time in aiming at Avenger and firing her handgun, bullets packed with enough kinetic force to pierce the armor she was wearing flying at her with supersonic speeds, a steel alloy piercing shell equipped on every bullet. The handgun barely moved in her hands, kickback, recoil and vibrations all perfectly controlled in her hands. </p><p>Avenger immediately bent her back in a show of extreme flexibility as bullets flew above her belly and chest, her entire body in a backwards bridge plank with the face towards the ceiling, except her hands weren’t even touching the floor. The bullets whizzed past, one barely passing over the chin of her helmet as they slammed into the dirt and the wall behind her, kicking up small specks of dirt as bored deep into the earth.</p><p>Rider was already slowing backing away with each shot, creating some distance while she navigated to more solid ground to fight properly. While it was certain that she could fight on this upturned soil, the uncertain footing and soft ground would impede her style of fighting, whereas Avenger with her beast-like skill would remain unaffected most likely, though there was always the chance she could be caught unawares. </p><p>Avenger twisted and turned, her arms, legs, neck and torso exhibiting such insane prowess at flexibility that it would put all gymnasts past and present to shame. It almost looked like she was pulling her limbs out of their sockets with each move, some of them seemingly only possible with a body made of rubber. It was done incredibly fast and precise as well, each move well-coordinated like a master ballet. Without missing a beat in the dance of deadly steel, she dodged every single bullet, with barely a millimeter to spare as each piece of metal flew past her, some even scratching her armor. Yet she remained unaffected by the near misses, calmly weaving out of the way of each one, no matter how expertly Rider aimed her bullets.</p><p>Gradually, bit by bit, Avenger closed the distance between the two, each step bringing her closer and closer. Then out of nowhere, Avenger sank into the soil, the soil having turned into mud from being mixed with water, the originally loose soil easily sucking in the heavily armored Avenger until it was up to her knees, mud and water dragging her in. </p><p>It was easy enough for Avenger to escape, but Rider never gave her the chance. The moment before Avenger fell into her trap that she had prepared while retreating, she had readied herself and launched herself at Avenger. Avenger of course had managed to read her body movements while advancing and had braced herself for the sudden charge, but she hadn’t expected the muddy ground. Limiting her mobility, Avenger was about to use Mana Burst to escape when out of the corner of the eyes, she spotted the broom sweeping towards her from the left. With no choice, she lifted the sword to deflect the blow, the broom scraping on the blade and going just above her head, the wind sharp enough to slice off human hair. </p><p>Without missing a beat, Rider fired shots of water into the ground, mixing normal AP bullets between those shots as well. The blasts of water were too large for Avenger to dodge completely with her legs lodged in the ground, though her waist was flexible enough to weave her way between them. The water blasts did little damage besides rattling her armor a bit, instead she was more concerned about dodging the bullets hidden between the blasts of water that could cause deadly wounds if she wasn’t careful. Rider, who had borrowed the force from Avenger’s deflect to lift herself high into the air, fired nonstop, soaking Avenger while keeping her pinned down with rapid bullets. The water soaked into the ground Avenger was trapped in, further converting the loose soil into more mud, the pool of mud growing larger and deeper. </p><p>Avenger refused to be locked in the mud, her legs charging up with Mana Burst as crimson electricity crackled in the black greaves, ready to blast out and straight up into the air to clash with Rider head on. </p><p>Without missing a beat, Rider dropped half a dozen grenades on Avenger. </p><p>By this point Avenger was almost up to her chest in mud, the water blasts hitting the mud further adding to the viscosity and amount of the brown semi-liquid, each shot sinking Avenger deeper with her heavy plate armor. The mud was slightly above her belly, proving difficult for even Avenger to escape with only a moment's notice. </p><p>Rerouting all the energy she was preparing, Avenger overloaded the sword with mana and swung at the grenades pouring onto her with a massive roar. </p><p>Red electricity crackled along the length of the blade, energy pouring out of the swing as Avenger put so much strength into that one swing that the air itself rippled, Mana Burst from her elbow and wrist tripling the speed and force applied. Pain erupted from the arm, a self-harming technique that gave great power and speed in exchange for ripping the muscles and cracking the bones, though with Avenger’s healing it was quickly negated. The air pressure blasted at the grenade, a great wind sending them flying away from Avenger as they exploded in the air, some even going back towards Rider. </p><p>Piercing through the explosions, Rider fell straight down on Avenger, her sniper rifle fully assembled as she fired a full force beam of incandescent water that became a pillar smashing Avenger into the ground. Ignoring the pain from the reflected grenade and the wounds on her body, she focused all her mana into the one shot, pouring her energy into the barrel of Excalibur Morgan (rifle).</p><p>The water became an immense physical force pushing on Avenger’s blade, the black hunk of metal creaking with the force as Avenger attempted to push back, in vain. The water pushed her ever deeper into the dirt, Avenger sinking deeper and deeper as the beam kept on forcing her down. Even with the aid of Mana Burst, the Avenger with most of her abilities and mind sealed was unable to display her full strength, forced into blocking with all her strength with all the energy she could muster. </p><p>Rider sustained the blast all the way until halfway, the water shooting out of the sniper rifle actually slowing down her fall like water jetpack, then she stopped and morphed it back into a broom, and sped down with a massive jet of water shooting out of one end of the broom, the other end pointed straight down at Avenger. </p><p>The sniper beam combined with the broom slamming down from the heavens was too much for Avenger, her arms collapsing as the flat of her own sword slammed into her black helm, the metal denting from the collision. Like a nail being hammered into the ground, Avenger was hammered into the mud, finally going in all the way up to her head. </p><p>Barely giving her a second glance, Rider ran out of the room, intent on leaving as soon as possible. </p><p>She knew that no matter how hard she tried, Avenger would come back. Being sustained by the Grail itself, it was possible that no matter what she did, it was impossible to kill her, and after seeing Avenger take out Ruler and Berserker after having the armor removed, she wasn’t going to stick around in case that happened. She had already spent quite some energy, and she had barely made a dent. As if to prove her point, right after she dashed out of the room, Avenger emerged from the mud, one gauntlet slamming pushing out of the slurry, then another, before a massive explosion of mana threw her out of the mud, her entire body rising from it like a shark from the water. </p><p>“ARRTTTHUURRR!!!!”</p><p>Giving chase to Rider, Avenger dug her hands into the dirt and bellowed, before charging like a bull, smashing through the wall into the corridor and going after the quickly receding back of Rider.</p><p>The petrified Ayaka remained in the branches of the now collapsed tree, her body trembling as liquid gathered around a certain area of her long skirt.</p>
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<a name="section0110"><h2>110. Chapter 110</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 110</p><p>Craters appeared on the ground with each step, the black greaves breaking the concrete easily as the sound echoed off the walls. The light’s mounted on the ceiling flickered as she passed, the vibrations from her running so violent they shook the housings and made the lights flicker. The sequence of lights flickering on and off made it even harder to catch a glimpse of Avenger, the black armor easily blending in with the shadows. The air moving out of her way became a slipstream of wind behind her, the howl of the wind reaching all the way to the Servant fleeing her. </p><p>Rider couldn’t spare a glance behind her even with the crashing footsteps, roars and constant howling behind her, focused solely on staying one step ahead of the monstrous being chasing her. She was already using water to coat the ground behind her and make the floor slippery, shooting randomly without looking behind her, but they barely did anything to slow down Avenger. The Servant of hate already knew what tricks she had up her sleeve, and she easily bulldozed through them, not even serving as a distraction in the slightest. Doing anything more would distract Rider and slow her down, which wasn’t something she could afford. </p><p>The question of why Avenger had suddenly shown up hovered in the back of her mind, but she could only focus on running and ignored everything else. The high heeled shoes weren’t suited for running in the first place, but with Rider’s strength and agility, she was somehow able to make it look easy, the maid shoes that were part of her costume not hindering her in the slightest. Pumping her arms like mad, she had dematerialized her broom owing to its length, which could easily smack into the floor and walls while she moved, and was only holding her handgun. The dark jacket she wore flapped in the wind as she moved, her speed similarly producing wind as she ran with all her might. Her hair, her white skirt, the fluffy white frills on her head, they all plastered against her body as the wind pressed down on them, the tapping of her shoes with each step making them bounce in time with it. </p><p>If one looked at their parameters, they were equally agile, with little to differentiate them. However, while Avenger was clad in heavy plate armor in contrast to Rider’s light-weight, minimalistic swimsuit maid outfit, Avenger also had the advantage of using Mana Burst, with an unlimited supply of energy to back it up. </p><p>The concrete deteriorated further with each step as Avenger activated the skill, red energy blasting out of her feet like rocket flames as the floor simply disappeared, Avenger shooting forward with more than double of her previous speed. No attempts to curb the amount of energy spent was made, excessive amounts of mana pumped into her legs in a horribly inefficient manner, but it was more than enough to let her quickly shrink the distance between her and Rider. </p><p>In response, Rider’s back suddenly became a vortex of water from Avenger’s point of view. The broom manifested again in her hands, and she pointed the brush towards the back, and water spat out of it.</p><p>*SHOOM*</p><p>Faster than a car, the broom propelled her at great speeds, the walls speeding past in a grey blur as the wind threatened to tear off the white brim on her head and strip off her jacket. Tucking her body smaller and shrinking the surface area to reduce air resistance, she jumped onto the broom and used it like a water jet engine, riding on the red shaft like the witches from fairy tales, except it was a modern broom that shot out water to fly. </p><p>The water expelled from the back crashed in great quantities against Avenger, hitting the black armor with far greater power than an anti-riot water cannon could ever make. It was almost on the same level as her sniper rifle shot, though the water was less concentrated than the beam, and instead more like an expanding cone. Nevertheless, it was still able to slow down Avenger, even with the Mana Burst applied to her dashing. The water rang on metal, Avenger’s ears drowning with the flood that rang inside the hollow sections of her armor. Yet she continued straight on, challenging the flood as it resisted her movements, thrusting her chest forward as she dug into the floor with even more power, rage-filled eyes refusing to lose sight of the source of their hatred in front of them. </p><p>Increasing the output of the jet of water, it became a massive swirl behind the broom that completely blocked the corridor, a shooting waterfall of liquid that drowned everything behind the broom. Avenger lost sight of everything ahead of her, the water blocking everything in sight as the liquid seeped in through the small cracks and gaps in the armor, filling everything up with water as she lost her footing with the water surging all around her, wrapping her entire body in a massive flood. The Mana Burst did little to help her, instead actively hindering her movements as she slammed straight into the ceiling while having it fully active, the water floating her and changing her direction to face upwards. </p><p>Yet that failed to dissuade Avenger even by a little, the maddened Servant slamming two hands into the ceiling, digging the fingers wrapped in metal and stabbed holes into the ceiling to reorient herself, before blasting off once more with Mana Burst acting like some type of underwater propeller, a red streak in the shadowy water. It barely took the Servant seconds to recover from the sudden flood, easily adapting and overcoming it. </p><p>It was to Avenger’s surprise when she almost immediately broke out of the flood of water, almost crashing into the ground when Mana Burst came out in the air , electricity crackling in the water as she skimmed on the surface after bursting out into the air. Water evaporated into steam wherever the red energy touched it, creating a white trail behind Avenger. With an expert spin and dragging her fingers on the closest wall, she slowed herself down and landed safely. Her sabatons dug into the concrete, raising a cloud of dust as she braked hard with the water coating her entire body, before she finally came to a stop. Behind her, the water quickly dropped, becoming a wide expanse of liquid that was barely ankle deep, the level dropping fast as well as the water spread further.</p><p>Ahead of her, Avenger saw the last remnants of the watery vortex that was a mighty flood earlier, the clear liquid splashing onto the ground as a mere puddle. Rider was nowhere to be seen, and as Avenger watched the now unpowered broom fell to the ground and promptly dematerialized, returning to its owner. All that was left was the water, dripping from cracks and pouring out in small streams from Avenger’s armor, joining that water on the ground that was by now barely a centimeters thick surface on the floor. </p><p>Rider was unable to lose Avenger earlier due to the fact that the corridor outside the room where Ayaka had hidden was a straight one, with no T-sections, stairs or anything else connecting it. It was simply one way left, and one way right. Hence, Avenger was able to escape the mud trap in seconds and immediately rush out the corridor to spot Rider and chase after her. Afterwards, it was different story when Rider got further ahead, and by blocking Avenger’s view of her with the water while picking up speed, she had jumped off the broom into one of the side passages, leaving the broom to go on to fool Avenger into thinking that she was still riding it while dashing off in a completely different direction. After that several twists and turns, she had dematerialized, further reducing her presence and making it harder for her to be detected, with the broom disappearing as well, the jet of water going with it. </p><p>Just like that Rider shook off Avenger’s pursuit, the entire clash and chase to escape from start to finish lasting no more than 5 minutes. Rider was significantly more tired though, expending a large chunk of energy in fighting her and firing all those water beams and flood, with Sakura currently resting on the couch in the living room due to the mana draining affecting her condition. Avenger on the other hand, barely suffered any injuries besides a dent in her helm, and had plenty of energy to spare. </p><p>“rrrRRRRrrr…”</p><p>A low growl emitted from the mindless Servant’s throat, Avenger standing there as the water fell from her armor, gliding down her slick black armor in lines. Shaking her head like a dog, water sprayed on the walls and floor, and she swung her sword with power as well, scattering the water on it like raindrops until it was dry once more. </p><p>Tilting its head, it considered the passages it could go down, looking at them one by one. Even though Rider had escaped for now, Avenger could still feel that she was close by, even with her spiritual body and not in the material realm. That was just how strongly Mordred felt about her, easily sensing her presence close by no matter how well-hidden an Artoria could be. </p><p>Randomly picking a path, the Servant stalked the passageways once more, searching for her prey.</p>
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<a name="section0111"><h2>111. Chapter 111</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 111</p><p>The two mages stuck in the room couldn’t see or hear the furious clash between the two titans, but they were easily able to feel the waves of mana released from the battle. It was obvious that there were two Servants battling it out within the facility, though which Servants it was was unknown to them. The only thing they knew was that they had to escape this place and get to a safe destination immediately. </p><p>“Org…”</p><p>Looking at the unconscious mage, he shook him a few times, to wake him up. When that failed to work, he became more forceful, roughly shoving his shoulder, but Org still remained slumped on the ground. With not other alternative, and the sudden cessation of energy waves from the Servants, he decided to shock him, with the least amount of electricity he could muster. Not that he could do much more in any case. </p><p>Scooting over to Org’s bare hand, he placed his right index finger above his palm and focused his Magic Circuits, channeling what energy he still had. </p><p>A green spark jumped from the tip of his finger nail, leaping into the air, and then landing on Org’s palm, a small wisp of smoke coming out of his index finger at the same time. A jolt ran up Org’s arm, his body jumping slightly, and then his eyes shot wide open, the muscles on his face tightening. </p><p>“Urgh, krrrr…”</p><p>The pain from his legs and back hit him the moment he woke up, his heavy set face grimacing as the veins on his forehead stood out. Clenching his trousers, he pulled himself up and looked down at his legs, frowning at the way they bent, visible through the fabric of his dark pants. </p><p>“Your legs broken too, Caules?”</p><p>His surprisingly smooth voice, at odds with his rough appearance, questioned him, though it was tinged with a light hint of agony from the pain. Nevertheless, his face didn’t show any of it. </p><p>“Yeah. I’ve been trying to heal us as best as I can, but the most I could do was stop the internal bleeding.”</p><p>He gestured to the backup Primeval Battery he had been using, the coils of emerald electricity still crackling in circles around it, though less active than it had been when Caules had been channeling his mana. </p><p>“The signature of roughly two Servants appeared just now, but they disappeared right before I woke you up. At any rate, we need to get out of here before we’re found, or hide somewhere safer.”</p><p>Org brushed off the broken shards of glass off his shirt and cleaned his glasses, restoring the shattered side with a thin film of water. </p><p>“So you need me to move the two of us out of here. Alright, I’ve got it. Let’s use the magic circle in the middle.”</p><p>It was likely the Servants would sense their position once they used it, but he had no choice. Casting the magecraft he needed to perform would take too long otherwise, and in the end they would still be able to sense the mana emitted from the spell, despite the fact that it would be significantly weaker than using the thaumaturgical circle. </p><p>Dragging themselves across the floor to the center of the symbols engraved on the floor, the two of them sat with their backs against each other, and once they settled into position, Org began the chant, with Caules harmonizing the flow of mana with him. </p><p>“महान महासागर की दृढ़ता से बह रहा है।,<br/>Flowing from the firmament of the great ocean,</p><p>कभी सहानुभूति और जीवन शक्ति का उपहार पेश करते हैं<br/>ever present gift of sympathy and vitality</p><p>बाइंडिंग रेक्टिट्यूड के साथ हर गैप और हर दोष में रिसना,<br/>seep into every gap and every flaw with binding rectitude,</p><p>उन लोगों की प्यास के लिए समर्पण करें जो विनम्रतापूर्वक दया की दया करते हैं<br/>grant succour to the thirst of those who humbly plead for the soothing mercy.</p><p>पृथ्वी की विशालता से लेकर अनंत काल तक का एक वृत्त<br/>From heavens to the vastness of earth, a circle of eternity</p><p>केवल वही जो असमान है, अनंत दुख में बह सकता है<br/>only that which is unending can flow into the infinite suffering</p><p>बढ़ रहा है, मुरझा रहा है, मर रहा है। वाष्पीकरण, संघनक, जमना<br/>Growing, withering, dying. Evaporating, condensing, solidifying.</p><p>एक स्पष्ट विमान जो दुनिया के दोषों को उजागर करता है,<br/>A clear plane that exposes the worlds faults,</p><p>नश्वर बंधन के दर्पण में प्रतिबिंब<br/>reflections in the mirror of the mortals bonds.</p><p>पथ दिव्य, कि उपहार हमारे मांस के लिए दिया जा सकता है।<br/>Divine the path, that the gift may be given unto our flesh.”</p><p>A ten-count chant, each line bringing the caster closer to the realm of High Thaumaturgy. Self-hypnosis was the one of the most potent tools a magus could wield, and Org was no exception. The mana pooled around them, the lines of the magic circle glowing a soothing green that transitioned between light blue at intervals, painting a picture of water on the ceiling, the rippling effect of seeing the world from underwater. The air became lighter around them, before it suddenly became humid, water droplets gathering on their clothes and skin. </p><p>The Magic Crest of Org glowed, his focus on chanting and directing his mana keeping his razor focused as Caules matched his flow, the two of them concentrating hard. As Org neared the end, Caules shifted his hand to place it on the Primeval Battery he had brought with them into the circle, activating it as the chant reached the final line. </p><p>*CrSHION*</p><p>Tendrils of electricity danced across their body as they both resisted the urge to cry out in pain, struggling to keep their magecraft running smoothly to prevent backfiring as the electricity shocked various parts of their body, running into their clothes and rendering different parts of their body numb. It was in fact a method to stimulate their Od in the pattern they needed it to act in, their Circuits working in harmony. Water suffused the air, and then pooled into orbs in the air, glinting under the uncertain light of the green energy coursing through the Primeval Battery. </p><p>Extending tentacles of water that slid into their pant legs, they planted themselves on the bare skin of the two mages. Without so much as a sound, the water slowly seeped in through the pores of their skin, bit by bit, entering their muscles, through the gaps in their muscle fibers, into their blood and settling into the gaps between the shattered pieces of bone scattered across their legs. </p><p>Every single gap in their physical structure was filled up by molecules of water, steadily increasing the weight of their legs. In fact, it was somewhat similar to Reinforcement, except it functioned with water instead of mana, though the water was infused with mana as well. Soon the orbs of water floating in the air were completely depleted, having entirely entered the legs of the two magi, and the circle ceased to glow, the glow from the Magic Crests slowly fading as well, though the heat and pain lingered. </p><p>Experimentally, Caules tried standing up. He definitely felt more energized, like his body had just had a good rest, but he wasn’t sure if they were fully healed. He was pleasantly surprised to find that he was able to stand easily, though he could feel a dull ache throbbing near the middle of his femur and his calf.</p><p>“Your healing magecraft really is amazing Org.”</p><p>“Spare the praises for after we’re gone. Let’s get moving.”</p><p>Org’s element was water, and he specialized in healing-type magecraft, reaching the rank of Brand during his tenure under El-Melloi. The main reason he was brought along was due to his expertise in healing most physical wounds, as well as some experience in spiritual surgery as well through the innovative use of water to infiltrate the human body and acting on it in an immaterial manner, though it still fell short of a certain priest’s ability.</p><p>With those few words, they set off, heading for the emergency exit in the room.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0112"><h2>112. Chapter 112</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 112</p><p>As Caules walked on the floor dripping with water, his shoes caught on one of the lines scratched onto the concrete surface, the tiny dent in the floor resulting in an uneven surface that the toe of his shoes just managed to hit. His entire body pitched forward, his head tilting forwards as he windmilled his arms desperately, trying to catch himself. His right leg stood rigidly straight, while his left arched all the way back, hanging in the air. Org reached forward and grabbed his collar, yanking him backwards. Yet, as Caules’s left foot reached down to stabilize himself, it hit the slippery floor, the droplets of water left over from the spell earlier, and his left leg went flying forwards into the air this time, his entire body slamming into Org and making the two collapse to the ground. </p><p>“Gahk!”</p><p>Org’s cry of pain was muffled as Caules fell on top of him, the back of his white jacket stuffed into his mouth. Caules legs went flying into the air comically, spread in a large Y shape, while Org slid backwards slightly on the water lubricated ground, the momentum of Caules fall pushing him. </p><p>*NYOOOM*</p><p>Barely inches away from Caules crotch, a beam of pure water with deadly force pierced through the magic circle, just shy of the center. It easily vaporized the military grade reinforced concrete and continued into the ceiling, burrowing through the concrete, dirt and steel rebar until the beam finally deactivated, leaving a gaping hole in the ceiling that the two mages could only stare at. </p><p>Far below them, Rider stared at the hole above her, wondering if she’d hit them. When they had activated the magic circle, it had essentially served a massive signal that broadcast their location, saying “I am here!”, and Rider had taken advantage of it to fulfill her mission. Assembling her Excalibur Morgan rifle in seconds, she raised the rifle to her shoulder and took aim at an unseen point above her, roughly estimating their position from what she had felt of their energy, triangulating it until she was certain it was 99% correct. Regulating her breathing, she placed her finger on the trigger, breathed in, centered her aim, then pulled as she breathed out. </p><p>A blazing beam of water cut a clean hole through 4 floors, a wooden desk, a steel cabinet and some sort of cage, reaching the very top in the room where the two mages were situated. </p><p>The two mages didn’t take long to break out of their stupor once the beam ended, immediately getting to their feet and rushing to the emergency exit right in front of them, a cramped passageway leading down into the sewers where the motorbikes were waiting. </p><p>A roar issued forth from somewhere in the base, echoing in the corridors until it reached them, and they began to feel vibrations coming from the very floor they were standing on. Their ears felt like they were being violated, even with how far away the roar seemed to come from, and they picked up the pace, rushing down the stairs. </p><p>Not a moment too soon did they enter the passage way when moments later, the wall facing the emergency escape route broke down in pieces, a cloud of dust obscuring the intruder that had smashed into the room, with only a pair of glowing red eyes visible through the grey haze. </p><p>Avenger had instantly picked out the direction and went charging ahead, ramming through walls and steel like they were matchsticks, property be damned. Her Mana Burst lit up her legs like a Christmas tree, allowing her to bust down doors and walls like it was nothing, turning her into a raging juggernaut that swiftly reached the mages location. But there was one thing she was unable to defeat. </p><p>That was the size of the escape passageway. </p><p>It was simply too small for her to fit through. Even if she tried to walk sideways, her black armor, sizes above her regular armor had she been summoned in the Saber class, would not fit, the curve of her breast plate ramming into the walls and crushing the concrete into dust, her gauntlets flailing and her feet ground the floor into dust, in a vain attempt to get in. At her size with armor on, she was larger than Lancelot had been in the last Grail War, with plenty of extra spikes and extraneous curves in the armor’s design that further hindered her progress. </p><p>Angra Mainyu, who was currently influencing Avenger’s (Mordred) actions as his puppet, was certainly able to dematerialize the black armor that surrounded her body, but that would mean he would lose control over her, as the armor was actually his media of possession with which he issued orders that overrode her personal will, and once she went on a wild rampage searching for Artorias, it would be a pain to stop her. </p><p>It would be especially troublesome this time too, since they were in the middle of the residential district, packed with people living in it, unlike the isolated Einzbern forest. He had purposefully sent Avenger to fight there last time as he could wrangle it under control even if Avenger broke the armor, but this time there would be witnesses, and no Lancer to chip in to help as well. If the existence of magecraft was revealed because of her going wild, he would have the Clock Tower breathing down his neck, and that wasn’t ideal for him, not when his preparations were far from complete. He still hadn’t even fully set up the Lesser Grail to unlock his path, and he couldn’t have the mages dismantling the Greater Grail either, so he was forced to give up his pursuit of the two. </p><p>The two ran faster as they heard Avenger’s frustrated roars echoing behind them, reaching the bikes in the sewers and hopping on for a quick getaway. Unbeknownst to the two, worms coiled under the seat of the bikes tightened their grip to avoid being shaken off.</p><p>With that, the only magus left in the base was Ayaka.</p><p>Shaking off the stray leaves on her dress, Ayaka calmed her heart, pressing her hands against her trembling legs as she kneeled on the ground. The mental impact from having two Servants fight right in front of her was a far cry from simply hearing about it, and the waves of hatred flowing off Avenger in particular was...indescribable. It was a battle between her fighting her sudden impulses to jump out of the tree and fight them without any rational reason, and screaming out of fear from the deadly pressure they exerted. It was like gravity had been strengthened, forcibly dragging her down from the branches she was hiding in onto the ground. Thankfully, they had been so absorbed in the battle that they hadn’t noticed her, leaving her shaking in the shadows of the fallen tree. </p><p>Closing her eyes, she sucked in all the air her lungs could hold, then let out a large breath. When she opened her eyes, they were far calmer than before.</p><p>Moving her injured body, she did her best to move it as slowly as she could, putting as little stress as she could on the unresponsive parts of her arms and leg. With Manaka dead and the backlash of the ritual, she could barely do anything at this point, but she could at least drag her battered body to the other emergency escape close by. Stepping through the doorway, she thought to herself that as long as she didn’t meet anything on the short path towards the exit, she should be fine. </p><p>As if on cue, an old man appeared behind her, forming out insects piling up on each other.</p><p>“Hello there Sayjou-san.”</p>
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<a name="section0113"><h2>113. Chapter 113</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 113</p><p>Rushing down the stairs, the group was met with the sight of the twisted metal doors and loose cables that used to be the elevator shaft, mangled beyond use at this point. </p><p>“Assassin, take me down.”</p><p>“Don’t jump so suddenl-aaaaAAHH!!!”</p><p>Taking Gray in her arms, Assassin went into the hole and jumped straight down, easily absorbing the shock of the fall while avoiding the sharp thorny plants and the cables entangled on the top of the elevator box, ignoring the screams of Add as he rocketed inside the cage from between the iron bars. </p><p>El-Melloi poked his head through the hole and yelled down at them from the top.</p><p>“Search for Org, Caules and Ayaka and get them to safety if you can! We’ll get down from another way.”</p><p>Nodding, Assassin and Gray disappeared through the broken hatch on top of the elevator carriage, entering the base. </p><p>El-Melloi pushed open a wooden door with a crash bar across it, revealing a long flight of stairs leading down. Along with Flat and Zouken, they descended into the bowels of the Earth, heading towards the underground base. </p><p>It didn’t take long for Rider and Avenger to sense the presence of Assassin, with Avenger growling as she extracted herself from the cramped escape passage, turning towards the general direction of the newcomer, while Rider hesitated, gauging her own present state, as well as her Master’s energy reserves, before turning into spiritual form, her body fading away into thin air.</p><p>Assassin stood in front of her Master, raising her hilt, the glowing golden blade extending out of it to form the shape of a regular longsword, the yellow light illuminating the wrecked hallway that Avenger had passed through, the lights blown out from the air pressure formed through the sheer speed she was travelling with, the wind smashing the bulbs into pieces.</p><p>Both Grey and Assassin could sense the naked presence of Avenger, the hatred directed to them almost palpable even through the concrete walls, prompting Gray to manifest the scythe into her hands, Add for once silent. A sheen of sweat appeared on Gray’s nape, her hands clammy as she gripped her weapon of choice. She had fought many things before, both human and non-human, having witnessed horrors that no normal human would ever see in their life. But had she never felt such a deep animosity directed at her before, a pressure so intense that she felt like it came from the deepest pits of loathing, a heavy weight placed upon her shoulders. </p><p>As long as they looked like Artoria, Avenger’s enmity would fall on them. The rage against her father for not recognizing her, rejecting her, disowning her, and ███████. There was nothing that could satisfy it’s ravenous appetite, even if she killed a thousand Artorias. All it would bring her was a moment of calm, and then it would consume her again. As of now, her focus was locked on the closest equivalents to Artoria, Assassin and Gray. No matter who they might actually be, their physical make-up and Conceptual Weight were tied to Artoria, Gray as an artificial product to become Artoria, and Assassin as an alternate version. </p><p>Avenger’s eyes glowed brighter, her Artoria sensor ‘nose’ twitching as it caught the scent of the two, so similar, yet so different. Without a doubt, they were also targets of her hatred. </p><p>Unleashing a howling roar in the empty, abandoned hallways, she advanced, heading straight towards the two as she got down on all fours and ran like a maddened beast, a hound in search of its prey. </p><p>Echoing through base, her cries reached them, only a faint echo at this point, yet still enough to make them even more vigilant. </p><p>Assassin’s ahoge trembled in response, her legs settling in a wider stance. </p><p>“Master, be prepared.”</p><p>Gray nodded, the metal flowing in her arms to a different shape from before, two prongs extending out of the shaft of the scythe as the blade retracted into the body, becoming a slender curve that fitted snugly in her hands. A bow with ridges that resembled Add, a blue thread that served as the bow string, glowing with an intensity like sapphire flames stretched into a string. Her scythe was too unwieldy in these tight corridors, so using a bow to support her Servant from behind was her best bet, since she couldn’t match her Servant in close combat to fight together with her, unless she used the backup cores.</p><p>The two advanced, lightly jogging as they entered the bowels of the once comforting base, now shrouded in darkness and ruined.</p><p>El-Melloi and Flat raced down the stairs, with Zouken left aboveground. He had simply stated that he would deal with the police that had almost arrived at the mansion as well as the other mundane folk, and so they had left him there. It wasn’t like they could force him to come along with them, and it was true that someone needed to do so, until the Church mediator arrived to sort it out.</p><p>“Is her tracker still active?”</p><p>When they had set out, they had each been issued a stone that would serve as trackers for their position, in case they were ever kidnapped. Though normal mages would promptly refuse such measures due to their pride, the students and associates of El-Melloi were all perfectly willing to go along with it, setting the stones inside their bodies by ingesting it, with Org’s water magecraft creating a protective bubble around it that prevented it from being excreted or dissolved.</p><p>They had noticed that Org and Caules seemed to be leaving the manor through the main escape route, though calling their phones didn’t seem to work, leaving only Ayaka who was still here. Without a way to contact the two, they decided to rescue Ayaka first, then contact the other escapees. She seemed to be currently wandering around the lower level, somewhere close to her own Workshop. </p><p>Strange...why isn’t she heading towards the escape passage or barricaded in her own Workshop?</p><p>El-Melloi thought as the two of them snuck through the hallways, trusting that the presence of Assassin would attract Servants, allowing the two to search the base unimpeded. Wandering around like that with Servants around didn’t seem logical, unless her Workshop had been broken into or she was being chased. She didn’t seem to be moving very fast either. </p><p>“She could be injured huh…”</p><p>Flat remarked as they closed in on her location, noticing the same thing as his mentor. </p><p>In a dark corridor filled with potholes and gashes from Avenger’s trail of destruction, Ayaka leaned on a wall for support, dragging her battered body along with her trembling legs, blood dripping with every step. She could barely remember what happened after the old man’s voice sounded out behind her, with hazy sounds and images flashing through her brain, like the sloshing of liquid, and grey, something grey and shiny. All she knew was that she had woken up, lying on the floor, with her body seemingly untouched aside from her earlier wounds. She could have hallucinated it and simply fainted on the floor, but she couldn’t help but have a bad feeling about it. Even so, she did all she could to esca-meet up with El-Melloi and the rest of them. They were coming her way after all, so there was no need to go for the secondary escape route. That’s right, regrouping was the right thing to do here. </p><p>She took no notice of her glasses falling to the ground, her feet crushing the thin wire frame remaining lens, as her brain became focused on finding her way to them. The wounds and pain seemed to be forgotten as her shuffling became faster, her movements more animated, all in an effort to reunite with her important mentor.</p><p>Far behind her, outside the gaping hole that was once the door to her Workshop, the fallen tree inside it still imposing even when lying on it’s side, was a pool of viscous, clear slime.</p>
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<a name="section0114"><h2>114. Chapter 101</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 101</p><p>Even in the darkness, Ruler could sense the swirling magical energy, mana pouring into the room from an unknown source. The ragged bunny ears twitched, then one half of the right ear fell off. Or more precisely, was ripped off. </p><p>Twisting her neck stiffly, Ruler turned to look at the crow that had ripped it off, the white cloth secured in its beak. It squawked, dropping the cloth as it dodged the card thrown at it, flapping its wings in panic. The second card didn’t miss, cutting through its neck with precision, severing the spine, throat and meat. The body and head rolled off in two separate directions on the ground, red blood dripping from the carcass. </p><p>As if on queue, hundreds, thousand of black eyes appeared in the darkness, reflecting the light from the lions pacing at Ruler’s side. On an unseen signal, they all hurled themselves at Ruler, surrounding her on every side. It was an omnidirectional attack, the crows going from the top, the left, the right, the front, the back, covering every conceivable angle. The light was extinguished under the wave of black feathers, the lions disappearing under the masses of feathers, flesh and talons as the sharp beaks pecked and tore at them. Ruler became completely covered in the animals as she curled up in a ball, unable to defend at all from the corvian surge. </p><p>The multitude of birds roosted around her body, using their beaks to nip and tear away her flesh, the hard keratin easily cutting through flesh as the sharp point talons pierced skin and fat, reaching into the redness beneath. Scratching, clawing, biting and kicking, individuality the birds didn’t do much, but together they gradually ripped up Ruler’s body, shredding her outer layer of skin and slowly digging their way to grind her flesh down to the bone. </p><p>More and more crows appeared in the darkness, dogpiling into the massive murder of crows that were already weighing on Ruler and her lions. It was like a massive dome of feathers, with an ever changing surface as the crows shifted and moved. </p><p>Slowly, a red glow lit up within the dome of birds, crimson light leaking through the gaps between the dark wings. Within seconds, an explosion shook the room, the crows burned to a crisp as they disappeared in the massive fireball that swallowed up all the crows pressing down on Ruler, burning away the vines and grass nearby, razing the dirt itself and turning it black. </p><p>The branches from the tree automatically grew in front of Ayaka, shielding her from the blast as the thick roots absorbed the brunt of the blow, keeping her physical body safe as her mind sought higher realms. </p><p>Chasing back the shadows for a brief moment, the explosion revealed the great tree in the middle, now shrouded in black mist the light was unable to penetrate, and the ground around it swallowed up in some kind of liquid, black and murky. </p><p>Then the fire dissipated into the air, the shadows scurrying back to take its place as the light receded. In the center of the explosion, where the birds had gathered, only Ruler’s body was left. </p><p>At this point, it was generous to even call her human. Her body was in tatters, the crows having ravaged it in the short amount of time they were able to act before she blew them up with her red cards. Blood seeped out from countless wounds all over her body, the talons and beaks having done a number on her. The chest area was left mostly intact, since she was kneeling on the ground in a fetal position, but the back was completely gone, only a few shreds of cloth left near the bottom that barely covered her modesty. Her back was literally skinless, the raw flesh exposed to the air after it was torn to pieces, then burnt by the explosion, black patches of skin and oozing liquids dripping down, with numerous severely inflamed sections that spanned her entire back. </p><p>The muscle fibers were visible on her arms, the once luxurious golden hair now burnt to a crisp, with only a few stray strands left on the equally severe burnt skin that used to be her scalp. Her shiny blue tights had completely lost their luster, the sides gone along with the skin, her feet bare on the charred dirt. </p><p>Somehow, she was still able to stand up despite the sorry state her body was in. </p><p>Her face was untouched, if you ignored the sides that were burned as well. It looked a bit like she was wearing a mask on her face, the skin being the mask itself. </p><p>The skin started healing, the burnt patches fading away as Zouken and the Grail’s mana filled her, revitalizing her body and granting it the strength to move forward to reach Ayaka.</p><p>“`̴̨̡̮͉̬̱̼̯͈̍͌̍̈́2̶̛͔̙̞̋̓̌͊9̵̡͍͖̬͂͛̍̿̎͂̊̄̎̈́͑̈́̀͜ͅ0̷̧̛̛̛͔͚̰̩̥̫̯͚̲͎͈͎͉́͒̔̉̏͜h̷̘͎̤̭͚̿͂͆͜ö̵̢̹͍̤̦͈̤̥͇́̾̆̈́ḭ̶̡̲̲̮̳̪͉̫̙̭͔̠̽ę̷̡͉͖̹̣͎̻̫̠͚̜̦͍̍̈́s̷̡̖̟̥̞̣̭̮͈͕͋̊̏̐̈́͋ͅṗ̵̨͍̦͍͔͉̣̖͓̯̤̫̘̭̽͂̈́͊̏̊̈́̓͋̊͝ͅ,̵̛͕͈͚̫̄A̷̢̻͉̱̰̭͓̯͇̣̻͐̉̑̀̂̈́͠@̴̺̳̉̑#̵̛̘͛͗̀̈́̑̓̈̀̕͜͝&gt;̴̡̱͕̳̭̰͓͓̥͍̇̐̊̆̈͒͐̆͜͝:̷̨̭͔̙͚͙͍͕̝̲̙̪̄̿́̀͜͜͜F̴̧̡̛̖̩̥̘̤̠̖̖̩͔̊͊͐̔̿̔̈́̿̍͋͘͜͜͝͠Ǎ̶̳͚̈͊͂̒̓ͅĔ̶̮͈̀&gt;̴͍͉͎̺̖̞̯̙̪̦̔̆̈́̑̃̒̍̏̇͋̀͗̃̋͘:̶̱͂͂́͐͆̃͑̿͒̕͠͝R̷̛̖͉̳͎̿̍̎̾̍̏̂̾̈̿́̈G̴̡̟͇̥͍̖͐̂̈́̌͒̈́̑́͂̈́̾͜$̵̙͍͕̦̩͇̞͍̅̍͗̕#̷̢̛̠̝̃̾̀̅̆͗̉͠P̵̠̘̩̤̱̫̻͇̗͔̦̙̔K̸̦̉̃̅̈́́̆͐̓̋̕̚͠P̷̥̠̞̈́̋̓͌̃͆̇̉͌͘̚@̷̧̯̠͙̰̰̪̯̈́͋̌̓͆́̀̋̚̚̚̚͝#̴̛͍̞͓͊͂̈́͆̿̍͝J̸͙͔̳͖͍̤͖̻͉̪̟͍̻͊̃̐̒̉͑͜͝Ŗ̴̡̛͖̤̻̭̤̲̺̪̀̾̐̚͘͠͠P̶͔̻͚͕͚͋W̴̪̞̦͇̩͇̯̞̾͘F̷̨̡̢͓̟͈̘̰̙̼̭͓̎͗̿̊̊͑̉͌͐̈́͛̒͝Ḯ̸̻̱̯̙̙̦͓͇̼̿͝N̵̬͔͙͗̈́͑̊̍̃̈́̕d̷̪̫̘̃̌̀̐͐͝ṣ̷̨̛̭̺͎͙͕̳͇͉̺̰̼̩͐̍̈̋͋̅͂̂͒̾̏͝f̸̧̘͇̙͇̞̓͑m̶̡̡͖̤̕͝w̵̨͎̰̯̫͚̬̳͖̥͓̯͕̾̇̍͗̃̿͌̓̚͝2̸̧̼̩̖̙̃̿͆̇̊̐f̸̧̧̡̫̪̥͚̲̼̙̦̃̾̀o̴̡͇͙͓̲̩̫͆͗̆̀͆̐̿͂̋̀͌͘͝͝i̵̯͔̮͕̯̳͍͖͍̙̼̠͜͜ͅg̸̨̣̼̈́͛̓͋n̴̢͎̹͇̜̣͇̼̤̄̄́̆̒̋͐͌͗͌̅̑f̴̥̟͇̗̦̗͕̂͆̍̓̈ḿ̷̘̱̆̽̂͊̀̏̅̂̆͠p̶̥̻̩̟̣͛̍̒̽͐̃̍̑̿s̷̤̖̠̫̽̂͑̍̄e̸̡̟̳͓̞͈͉̩̝͋̅̐̋͊͛̇̏͜͜ͅr̴̢͙̖͓̙͐̽̒̈͊̔͂̐̕͠͝͠ͅg̷̛̭̗̰͔̗̔́̿͂̑̍͑͗̀̾̃̕̕ ̵̛̦͚͈͓̦̩͇̬̼͎̬̅̅̉͊̈̀̆̈͘͝͠,̴̻̯̬̈&gt;̶̝̗̲̥̻̲̪͈̰̹̹͍̦̓̐̽͊͒̏̾̔͛̉̚&gt;̵̛̳̱͇̜͐̐̐̋͊͋̎͋̅̽̄̕͝"̴̨͉̥͖͎̫̏̔͆͐͂̎̃̉̃̾̕͜͝͝:̷̮̪̞̯̬̝͚̐̿̅̋͑̊̃́͆̇͆̓̑&gt;̵̨̡̯̹͍̥̘̩̥͚̹̦̜̗͋͑ͅ:̷̠̺̭̱̟̳̮̜̘͔̠̯͙̊͆̾̿̄̅́̅"̷̡̢̩̞͎͚̭̙̼̬͔̳̥̅͒͛̿͛͊̈́̑͌͐ͅ:̶̧̧̟͇̬̹̫̦͙̦̄̂̉̓̅͜~̴̘̟͕̻̾̄!̷̧̢̼̟̦̹͚̳̭̒̋̆͛̃̈́̂̕@̴̘̃͋̈́_̴̙̩̅̉͋̅̐̍̀͒̋)̷̢̥̭̮̈́͆́ͅ@̴̼̥̤͙͙͖̯͍̺̙̎͆̿̀̿̌͋̍̚ͅ(̶̛̭̘̬̜̘͈̺̓̋͛͜#̸͓̯̮͂͊̃́̿̅͆̋̽$̷̢̮̞͎̟̰̼̪͔̑̉*̴̟̗͓͙̦̬̜̻̹͑͑̆̈́̑͂̽̑̒̊͊́ͅ%̷̨͈̲̳̻̩̻̝͈̭͋̆͠*̷̦̭̝͕̬͓͔̘̘̥͋̈́̏͑͆̉̌͑͆͆͊͘͜͠͠ͅI̵̢̨̢̧̪̣̠̤͇̙͔̲͍̮͑̄͑̍̀̏̒N̷̢̺̠̰͔͍̜̖̓̅̃͜͠F̷̨̛̰̰̳̱̻̬̐̽̔͊͐̉̐̏̊̽̌̎͜͜͠Ä̵̜̯͙̺̺̣͍̅̈͝Ǫ̵̛͉̫͈̞̠̫̠̈́̅̊̇̆̐̎̾̎͊̾͜͠i̴̟͍͕͂̊͝s̵̱̖͎͛̈́̔̄̈́͝͝͝ͅj̷̡̡̫̘̺̖̳̰̹͙̫̎̿̈́͠s̶̰͍̙̙̬̣̬͉͉̥̖̥͚͓̋̈͗ͅi̷̪̣̘̮͈̔̐͋̀̈̓̀̾͠͝p̷̣͙̏#̷̞̫͓̘̮͚̹͕̱̠̜͎̇̈̀̏̏̐͒̏̚@̴̛̗̮͈̳̯̾͒͊̃”</p><p>Without taking a single step, she fell down on her face. Her face remained unchanged, her eyes still open, but it was as if a doll had her strings cut. Slowly, motes of golden light floated into the air, the darkness surrounding the entire room lifted, the oppressive aura covering it fading away. </p><p>An attack upon the soul, bypassing all physical and magical defenses save those that directly affected the soul. In a way similar to the Hassan's Cursed Arm technique, one simply needed to build a connection to the target, in Cursed Arm’s case a fake heart after touching the target with the arm, and then attack. Without any resistance, the target would be crushed, dying instantly to a fatal attack. The witchcraft that Ayaka practiced allowed her to strike down her enemies from anywhere across the world regardless of how strong they were, provided she had the right materials. In this case, she required something from Ruler with a deep connection to her, and what better than her blood. Luring her into the room, cutting her body and letting it water the dirt, she was able to obtain the material, the entire room itself specifically designed for her to perform the ritual. </p><p>Of course, she wasn’t able to provide the energy to fuel such a powerful ritual, so she was forced to use formalcraft to contract with an entity that would support the ritual. She had tried using Mana Cores and gems that Luvia had provided before, but the ritual refused to work, so she was forced into this method, the nature of the energy supplied also determining the success of the ritual. </p><p>Just like that, Ruler was conquered, her Saint Graph hammered through with a nail that shattered the bonds binding it to the physical plane. </p><p>Ayaka watched as Ruler dissolved into golden light, her body returning to the Throne, free of the bondage from an old man. Letting out a deep sigh, she rested her head against the tree, closing her eyes.</p><p>Then she fainted.</p>
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<a name="section0115"><h2>115. Chapter 114</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 114</p><p>It didn’t take long for Assassin and Gray to find their way blocked by Avenger.</p><p>Making their way away from Ayaka’s tracker signal, to put some distance between her and the other Servants, they served as a decoy to let the professor and Flat retrieve her safely. It was easy to tell that they were partially succeeding, just from the unfiltered, raw hatred directed at them that grew strong with every passing second. The dread weighing down on Gray’s shoulders grew heavier, and even Assassin couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anxiety. Just what in the galaxy was this Servant?</p><p>The killing intent reached a fever pitch, the two feeling like there was a guillotine blade positioned above their heads, a thin thread just barely preventing it from dropping. Then came a blunt announcement of her presence, the floor in front of them exploded.</p><p>Assassin jumped backwards and shielded her Master from the spray of rubble, pushing them back a few meters as well to put some distance between them and their foe. The pressure on the two of them was extraordinary, and though Assassin was a Servant who could easily handle something of this level, Gray was still only human, and with the terrific amount of hatred levelled against her by Avenger, she was gradually losing her grip.</p><p>Ordinarily, the presence of a Servant close by was enough for normal people to notice something was off. Whether it was how they spoke, acted or looked like, gazes would always be attracted to them, with people understanding instinctively that ‘this person isn’t normal’. It could reach great heights, with native heroes summoned to their own homeland commanding such a majestic presence that they were unable to go unnoticed at all if they manifested in the public, often attracting large crowds wherever they went. If Karna was summoned in India, it was guaranteed there would be crowds following him every day, with people proclaiming him to be a holy man, and others who would try to get him on television and so on. The same thing would apply for Nobunaga if she was summoned in Japan, or Anastasia Romanova in Russia.</p><p>In this respect, Avenger was similar, yet also different.</p><p>Hers was a class born from resentment, a vengeance that refused to rest even after death, manifesting as a Servant. They were undeniably human, being so fixated on the hatred and revenge that spurred them on against their fellow humans in life that that was all they had left when they became Servants, and each one carried a grudge unique to themselves. </p><p>For Avenger, it was her father. </p><p>The bastion of Britain, an unyielding fortress that held fast against the Saxons, but all Mordred could see was the long shadow that stretched from his back to her mother’s feet. Caught between the two, all she could see was darkness, standing in the abyss of being manipulated by her mother and a father who rejected her. </p><p>Amazingly, she was still able to let go of her hatred, or at the very least suppress it so deeply that it was almost like it never existed in the first place, all because of the unique circumstances she enjoyed in that timeline, so far removed from what the other Mordreds had experienced. All things are destined to end, and in her case it came tragically soon.</p><p>In the end, all that repressed anger surged forth from her darkened heart with tripled vengeance, her body becoming an avatar of senseless slaughter and bloody retribution as she went mad, carving a path of blood, flesh and bone in Britain to make her way straight towards Arthur, and end everything on that destined hill. Her feats of revenge became the grand finale to the saga of King Arthur, a final climax that no other epic could match, allowing her to attain the Avenger class. It could be said that if Edmond Dantes as Avenger had conquered time and space in pursuit of his revenge, then Mordred had gone beyond what the human body was capable of, pushing it reach a point where it could bend space and time, a monumental effort that was somewhat similar to Sasaki Kojiro mastering his special technique, though in essence she refined and honed her ability to specialize in one thing only. Killing Arthur.</p><p>Strangely, if she were to manifest in public, no one would notice her, nor would they feel any stirrings of hatred or killing intent directed at them. Only mages sensitive to mana disruption, or people gifted with something similar to that would notice her disturbingness. That was because she focused on her target, and excluded everything else. It wasn’t that she didn’t kill anything else during her quest to reach Arthur, but it was more like she only saw it as cutting grass or stepping on insects to reach him, instead of being any significant event. As such, anyone standing in her way wouldn’t really feel any killing intent directed at them. They would just die, cut apart by her sword, like an impartial force of nature, a tornado of violence sweeping across the battlefield. </p><p>But for her father, or those close to her, the pressure was intense. </p><p>Right now, Gray was on the verge of fainting, her pale skin turning even paler from the close proximity of the Servant, her skin turning cold and clammy as she tried to maintain a grip on her silver bow, half her mind wondering whether it was Add shaking in her hands, or if it was just her body trembling. Assassin could tell how bad her condition was now, and slowly retreated, step by step, making no sudden movements to trigger Avenger, who was simply staring at them through the black slit on her visor, a crimson glow tangible through the dust left over from her dramatic entrance. </p><p>Struggling to control her breathing and palpitating heart, Gray stepped back in time with Assassin, carefully, slowly, putting one trembling leg behind the other, doing it like she was making a 3D glass sculpture puzzle piece while standing on only one leg.</p><p>*krch*</p><p>Unknowingly, her boot stepped on a small piece of concrete with a short length of rebar still embedded in it, the concrete crumbling into gray dust under her weight as the steel rebar loudly scraped on the floor between her rubber soles and the hard floor, drawing a minuscule gouge out of it.  </p><p>Like a cannon going off, Avenger burst into motion, her confusion at the essence of Assassin, so far removed from the regular Artoria, gone as the primal hatred once more dominated her mind, turning everything into black and red as her keen edge sang for blood while the blade whistled through the air. </p><p>Assassin was prepared for the blow, but she wasn’t prepared for the rapid fire  double kicks that came soon after, or the stray punch, and to top it off a headbutt as Avenger swivelled her entire body mid-air with Mana Burst to turn it into a drilling strike. She had no right to be so agile, especially in mid-air, yet somehow she managed to pull it off, with each strike as heavy as it was fast.</p><p>Assassin hadn’t survived the galaxy for nothing though. It was comparable to the quick draw bullets of Billy, and she had cut those down before, so something on this level wasn’t impossible for her. Though she was pushed back with each blow, ending up almost a meter away from the trembling Gray, who was leaning on the wall and inching away from the two, desperately fighting off the mental burden of Avenger’s attention, as well as the sudden spike in mana consumption from Assassin. Normally she could easily handle something like this for an hour, but with her psychological state crumbling, it became exponentially harder to control both her mind and body, piling up the fatigue and stress on both sides.</p><p>Furiously, Assassin swung her glowing sword up and down, left and right, diagonally and vertically, cutting the air several times within a second in quick successions as she deflected, parried and blocked every blow raining down on her, the space between the two turned into a still tracing of golden lines and black flashes interspersed between them. The air pressure cut the ground and floor, scoring gashes and thin lines into the concrete as more and more rubble appeared on the ground, the lights that were spared from Avenger’s rampage earlier slowly extinguishing one by one as the fight progressed with Assassin being pushed backwards, every two steps backwards breaking one light, with Avenger becoming a literal herald of darkness. </p><p>Blue rimmed portals opened up at the sides, above and behind Avenger, indiscriminately shooting as bolts of energy as large as a dog hammered into the floor and ground while Avenger dodged them with the barest of margins, melting great holes and utterly destroying the hallway. Without the bombardment, Assassin would have been hard-pressed to keep up with Avenger’s unorthodox movement that defied everything she had seen before in her travels throughout the galaxy, but as Avenger dipped and ducked to avoid both her sword and cannon shots from the portal, she was given half a seconds reprieve to plan out her next move and analyze Avenger’s style in order to anticipate her plan of attack. </p><p>A cut on the cheek. A slash of her jacket. A lock of yellow hair fluttering away from its rightful place. Slowly, the tip of the blade came ever closer to Assassin, the black edge creeping beneath her guard, over her head, even reaching behind her in several nigh-impossible maneuvers that saw Avenger taking insane gambles to strike at Assassin from completely unexpected spots, leaving the rest of her body open for a blow. Only the sheer unexpectedness, and the speed it was executed with, saved Avenger from a crippling blow. </p><p>Shaving away at Assassin’s stamina, she was starting to feel her body struggle to keep up with her movements, her intended actions experiencing a delay as the strength of Avenger’s blade clashing with hers shook her entire frame, rattling the very teeth in her mouth. Somehow though, the ahoge didn’t so much as twitch, the shifting air and Assassin’s twisting body not even affecting it in the slightest. Her determination didn’t waver, her eyes searching for a sign of weaknesses even as she weathered each blow. </p><p>She could tell that if she didn’t protect Grey, Avenger would instantly switch her focus from her to Grey and leap past her to directly attack her Master, probably obliterating her in one blow. But with how she was intentionally blocking Avenger, the Servant had no choice but to go at her as hard as possible, investing all her energy into defeating her. They were both targets, but Avenger knew who to prioritize, even with her muddled mind. She unintentionally left the threat of switching targets to Grey in Assassin’s mind, forcing Assassin to fight in a way that protected Gray, leaving her unable to exploit any openings that appeared in Avenger’s stance, lest she leave a gap in her own that let Avenger through to target Grey. </p><p>Grey was aware she was a burden to Assassin, and she was forcing her body to move as fast as it could, but her legs remained uncooperative, each foot slow and unresponsive as it sluggishly lifted into the air, then plodded down, bringing her body mere inches forward. </p><p>Sensing a prime opportunity, Rider navigated to the end of the hallway, prepared to materialize and fire an ace in the hole.</p>
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<a name="section0116"><h2>116. Cahpter 115</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 115</p><p>Blood scattered in the air, a crimson arc that hung for a moment, then succumbed to gravity, falling on the ground as specks of red liquid that was wiped away seconds later by Assassin’s foot sliding on the ground, her body ducking to avoid the black long sword cutting over her head. At the same time, her ship provided support bombardment, an energy blast shooting towards Avenger as she completed the swing. </p><p>As casually as trained boxer dodging a punch from an amateur, Avenger flipped the sword in her hands to smack into the wall with the flat of the blade, her feet exerting force at the same time to push her to the side, the blue bolt travelling past her and into the hallways to smash into the wall all the way at the end, illuminating the darkness as it went. </p><p>Secret-calibur zipped like a mosquito, stinging the head, hands and legs of Avenger in quick succession, each stab faster than the last. The blade’s hum switched frequencies, frequently spiking and dipping as fast as Assassin wielded her weapon. The tip of the blade scraped against Avenger’s helmet, before she snapped her neck sideways with lightning speed, then the longsword came swinging at Assassin’s side, a move that sacrificed her hands and leg in exchange for landing a grievous wound on Assassin. Faced with such a dilemma, Assassin was forced to fall short of touching the armor with the last two blows to parry the swing that aimed to cleave her in half from the ribs.</p><p>In the eyes of Rider, it was obvious who was going to win the fight in the end. Though in terms of raw strength and speed, it was definitely Avenger who was superior, Assassin’s technique, if it could be called that, was much more advanced, and with sanity intact, Assassin was slowly able to grasp the base of Avenger’s wild, instinctive battling style, though she was far from accurately predicting her moves and completely shutting her down. The wounds were accumulating on Assassin’s body, fatigue sinking into her bones, but Rider couldn’t see her losing. In the end, Assassin could overturn the battle and emerge victorious, though whether she emerged unharmed was another question. </p><p>She stared at the Master of Assassin, plodding away from the two with Assassin’s protection, her face dripping with sweat as her feet faltered with every step. Clearly, she was suffering hard under the effects of Avenger’s ‘attention’. </p><p>Though she didn’t want to obey the old man, she had a duty to her Master, and as a maid she was obliged to fulfill it as best as she could. Cleaning up everything troubling her Master, including this Holy Grail War, was included in the contract as well. </p><p>Manifesting herself, the sniper rifle already fully formed in her hands, she knelt on the ground, one knee on the ground, the other leg with her feet planted firmly to minimize kickback and recoil, while her eye centered on her target with the crosshair, her internal training (instinct) kicking in as her body became perfectly still, her mind visualizing the shot that would pierce Grays body and send her soul to rest. Normally she’d lie down, but for a shot that needed to be fired as quickly as possible, she would rely on her Servant levels of strength to forcefully handle the recoil and instead kneel while charging up the shot. </p><p>Without question it was swift, almost as half fast as Billy the Kid’s casual quickdraw when he was just fooling around. In less than a second, she was already in position, and the waterspout burst forth from the muzzle, barreling towards Gray. </p><p>Assassin and Avenger both sensed Rider’s appearance, but while for Avenger it was merely the reappearance of another target, for Assassins it heralded a sudden defeat if her Master was killed. </p><p>Her ahoge immediately went rigid, standing straight up like an antenna.</p><p>Stepping clear of Avenger’s massive swing, she immediately summoned as many portals as she could to block Avenger and her vision, the sudden drain of mana dropping Gray to her knees as she stopped in place. It took  a few seconds for the aqua beam to reach Gray, given that Rider had manifested as far away as she could to prevent Assassin or Avenger from attacking her immediately, but it was enough time for Assassin to kick Gray towards the floor, the beam going right over her head while Gray lay prone on the floor. </p><p>Rider saw Gray suddenly drop out of her field of vision through the scope, and immediately adjusted her aim accordingly, dropping it lower. Without warning, her scope suddenly blacked out, her eye peeking through it seeing nothing but darkness. </p><p>Hastily, she opened both eyes and shifted her body to the side, barely dodging the rapidly spinning thrown sword, Secret-calibur, which just barely missed, shaving away a slice of meat from her deltoid. Then she was forced to jump over a barrage of bolts from the Dun Stallion II, firing through a portal directed down the hallway at her by Assassin. The baseball cap that Assassin had thrown first to obscure her vision slipped off the scope and fell on the floor, unruffled by the blasts sweeping through the space above it.</p><p>Assassin had not time to pat herself on the back from the perfect cap throw she had mastered during her lifetime traveling the galaxy. Instead, she was already in the air above Avenger, the portals obscuring her as she jumped, the blue circles forming a wall blocking Avenger as they pummeled her with energy blasts. </p><p>*SKRANG*</p><p>A wail of shrieking metal echoed in the hall as Avenger’s sword tore through the portals, expertly dodging every last blast even in the cramped space she was given. The portals were directly connected to the cannons on the Dun Stallion II, so it was possible to destroy them by stabbing into the portals, as Avenger demonstrated by striking all the portals in an X shape, from the top right to the bottom left, then spinning to perform a wide slash from the top left to the bottom right. Inwardly, Assassin cringed at how much she’d have to fork out to have the cannons repaired, but her body showed no trace of it as she landed on Avenger’s back as the portals flickered and disappeared. </p><p>The blue scarf looped around Avenger’s neck, then it tightened, Assassin pulling it with all she was worth while her feet were braced against Avenger’s armored back. The high necked gorget crunched under the fabric of undetermined material, the scarf not breaking even with Assassin tugging it as hard as she could. Rather, Avenger’s metal armor was the first to break, crushing Avenger’s throat as the thinner metal there crumpled under Assassin’s relentless pulling. </p><p>Avenger howled, gargled and then became reduced to choking as the armored Servant crashed into the left wall, then the right wall, desperately trying to shake off the person perched on her back. Wildly flailing her arms with disregard to the surroundings, the longsword smashed against concrete, pulverizing it to powder as Avenger stamped her feet against the ground, her body lurching forwards unconsciously while straining to break free.</p><p>Assassin weathered the hits, continuing to strangle Avenger with her blue scarf as she jerked Avenger away from stomping on Gray’s defenseless body on the ground, doing her best to reposition Avenger away from her. Yet Avenger wasn’t so easily leashed. Ignoring the tightening pull on her windpipe, Avenger summoned her strength and raised one leg to crush Gray’s head into paste. </p><p>Whether it was Gray’s conscious will, or Add protecting his owner, it wasn’t clear. Whichever the case, the bow in Gray’s hands morphed into a great shield, Avenger’s sabatons skittering past the smooth surface as the Servant became unbalanced from the unexpected development, her entire center of gravity swerving greatly, allowing Assassin to jerk her forward and control her like a horse to stand in front of Gray, blocking Rider’s view of Gray. </p><p>With that, Assassin had essentially protected Gray while placing Avenger and Rider in a difficult position, with the restrained Avenger used an erratic meat shield against Rider, while Rider was pressured by the energy blasts from the unpredictable portals while being unable to fire on Gray unless she wanted to get hit. Though she could possibly survive several shots, she was guaranteed to hit either, considering Avenger and Assassin were blocking her way. </p><p>Above ground, Zouken left the hypnotized police to deal with the public, while he himself left for the temple to bring his targets to the ruined mansion.</p>
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<a name="section0117"><h2>117. Chapter 116</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 116</p><p>Avenger clawed at her neck, the pointed fingers of the gauntlet tearing at the fabric, yet the blue fabric, if it was fabric, refused to yield, not tearing in the slightest even with Avenger sinking her fingers as deeply as she could and struggling to pull them apart like her life depended on it. Meanwhile, her throat became more and more restricted, her eyes bugging out of their sockets as the veins along her neck stood out, though it wasn’t visible under the dark metal covering her entire body. Little by little, her movements slowed, the clawing growing weaker and weaker.</p><p>By this point, Rider had also realized that the cannons were destroyable through the portals, and was actively firing at them, though the portals quickly disappeared before she could do any real harm to them. Still, it gave her a breather as the portals started popping up less often, allowing her to turn her attention towards the two. From what she could see, Avenger was quickly losing strength, and if she fell here, Rider would be next on Assassin’s list.</p><p>Raising her sniper rifle between dodging shots from the portals, now only appearing once every few seconds from a blind angle due to Assassin having to concentrate on Avenger, she fired shots at Avenger and Assassin, aiming to at least score a few hits to slow them down if they fought her. Whoever got hit first would most likely be taken out by the other, then while they were being defeated, Rider would fire a few more shots to cripple them in some way. </p><p>It was a difficult job to ride a choking Avenger and block Rider’s view of her Master, but Assassin was capable of such a task. Gritting her teeth furiously, she applied as much strength as she could, keeping her grip on the scarf as she tightened it’s hold, keeping the scarf close to the metal to prevent Avenger’s fingers from pulling the scarf away, letting her claw at it instead. Assassin’s legs shook as they braced against Avenger’s back, every slam into the wall sending a wave of pain through her body, but she refused to loosen her grip. By the time Avenger was on her knees, Assassin’s jacket was scuffed on both sides, the sleeves hanging by a thread as blood matted the blue silk, staining her inner white shirt a dirty hue of crimson. Her blonde hair had become a mess on both sides, stray strands still stuck on the wall where her head had impacted, two lines of blood running down the sides of her mouth, yet she was undeniably the victor, standing above Avenger by virtue of being perched on her back, while Avenger sank to the ground, the world fading to a dim black. </p><p>Barely a second passed for Avenger’s body to sink to the ground before it was snatched up again, this time to act as a shield against Rider’s shots. The black armor buckled and twisted under the impact of the watery projectiles, but they failed to penetrate, leaving Assassin who was lifting her body whole and unharmed.</p><p>“Tch!”</p><p>The sound of frustration made by Rider reached Assassin’s hyper-sensitive ears in the silence that followed after the shots failed to penetrate, Rider wondering how to defeat the Servant who had managed to protect her Master who had been a sitting duck for most of the fight, then defeat her opponent while doing so and was currently using said opponent as a shield. </p><p>Assassin ran through her own simulations, wondering how to take out Rider, who had an obvious advantage with the ranged combat she could engage in. Though Assassin could summon portals to hit her, they couldn’t exactly do a one hit K.O., though they were certainly damaging, and with Rider aware that they could be damaged, she couldn’t afford to risk any more like what she had pulled off with Avenger just now. That had cost her a significant amount of cannons, and while she could repair them, it wasn’t like she could find the materials on Earth, unless she decided to settle with modifying it or repairing it to an inferior condition. She could throw her sword again, but that was likely to be dodged this time without the element of surprise, since Rider had dodged it last time anyways, and throwing anything to obscure her vision wouldn’t work like that last time since she wasn’t aiming down her scope anymore, allowing to easily spot anything coming her way. In contrast, Rider could afford to slowly chip away at her shield if she just sat there, with the chances of her eventually getting through in the next ten minutes almost absolute, if not within five minutes.</p><p>But Assassins wasn’t just going to sit there and wait. </p><p>Closing her eyes, she concentrated. </p><p>She was the killer of Sabers, and utilized the Saber Force to do so. In the end, all she had to do was act with the will of the SF, and she would find the path to victory. With her own hands, she would grasp the most infinitesimal of chances and turn it into reality. </p><p>Her eyes snapping back open, she heaved and threw Avenger’s armored body straight at Rider.</p><p>The black hunk of metal barreled through the air to Rider’s shocked eyes, her legs reflexively dodging backwards before she bent her knees to slip just under the heavy body, the flailing arm on the spinning body clipping her shoulder and ripping a piece of flesh off with the tip of the index finger encased in the metal gauntlet. </p><p>Right behind it, Assassin was dashing and advancing. In the same amount of time the thrown body took to reach Rider, Assassin was also able to cross the hallway, bridging the gap between the two to come face to face with Rider. In seconds, the golden sword dematerialized from it’s landing position from being thrown earlier and and rematerialized in her hand, the golden blade in a sharp thrust towards Rider’s sternum. </p><p>The sniper rifle disappeared as a broom extended from the stock, a mop head parrying the blade before Assassin walked onto the wall, the ceiling, the opposite wall then back onto the floor, travelling with extreme speed with her blurring legs to dodge the pistol shots from Secace: Desert Eagle edition.</p><p>The banging shots of the gun shook Gray’s consciousness, her mind that was about to shut down completely slowly recovering as she felt the pain and lethargy in body lift slightly, the ‘curse’ of Avenger’s focus fading as the person herself was unconscious and unable to apply pressure. Slowly, her senses returned to her, the scratches on her knee and the smell of dust and blood entering her nose. The dread that filled her body with molten lead disappeared, replaced with a burning urgency to move. </p><p>Briefly puzzled at Add’s sudden change, she leaned on the greatshield, a great dent on the surface visible, while staring at the two Servants clashing in the distance. Her hand gripped the edge of the shield tightly, her moment of weakness earlier biting her heart.</p>
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<a name="section0118"><h2>118. Chapter 117</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 117</p><p>An orb of light floated in front of the two as they walked, the gentle green light shedding light where the electric ceiling lights failed to work. They could hear faint sounds of a fight echoing through the empty hallways all the way to them, but it was barely more than a raspy whisper, so they didn’t worry too much. Rather, it was Gray and Assassin who were more in danger than them. </p><p>It didn’t take them long to finally reach the place where Ayaka was supposed to be. After taking the several flights of stairs downwards, passing through an intersection and then taking several turns through the corridors, they spotted Ayaka in the distance, slowly dragging her injured leg as she braced herself against the wall, a trail of blood leading all the way to her.</p><p>Picking up their speed, they ran up to Ayaka, lightly jogging up to her. Flat knelt down next to her to support her as she turned her head, her eyes widening in surprise at the arrival of the two magi.</p><p>“Mentor, and Flat?”</p><p>“Yes, it’s us. You’ll be fine.”</p><p>Flat waved his hand over her face, pulsing his mana out in order to break any mental compulsion or forms of magical mind control she could be subject to. When no visible changes occurred, he went ahead with checking her for injuries.</p><p>Seeing her in such an injured state, El-Melloi decided to question her later, letting Flat tend to her wounds as he looked around, trying to see if he could spot anything. The only things he could see was the droplets of red that marked Ayaka’s route, and that this particular corridor seemed to be spared from any damage. Turning to Ayaka, he gave her a once-over, inspecting her condition and injuries. It seemed like her legs weren’t the cause of her bleeding, though they were definitely injured in some way, though he had no way of telling  in what manner without lifting the skirt a bit higher. The cuts littered around her back and arms, cutting into the sweater she swore, were likely the cause of the bloody trail. In addition, one arm seems to hang uselessly by her side, unresponsive while Flat treated her, while the other twitched or spasmed in response to the pain she felt when he pressed or prodded certain parts to find out whether they were injured or not. </p><p>She had also lost her glasses somewhere along the way, with her eyes reddened from burst blood vessels. The most glaringly obvious injuries though, were the three black fingers on her left hand, going from the index finger to the ring finger. It was an obvious sign that she had used a particularly potent branch of her own brand of witchcraft, and incurred a penalty like this.</p><p>Ayaka’s sharp hiss of pain when Flat touched her back prompted Flat to lift her sweater to check the extent of her injuries. </p><p>“Teach!”</p><p>Waver’s eyes snapped to the spot Flat was pointing at, and he instantly understood why Flat wanted him to see it. There was a symbol branded onto her back, along with the mottled, burnt flesh that was also part of the penalty of the magecraft that she had casted. If it were to be described, it looked like a tree, with an eye in the middle, but the roots were pointing to the sky, while the branches stretched into the earth. </p><p>This all but confirmed what he had suspected. </p><p>“Just treat her as best as you can for now.”</p><p>Nodding Flat continued to check the rest of her body while Ayaka wheezed on the ground, silently enduring it as she leaned on the wall with her shoulder. </p><p>So Ayaka had cast witchcraft, and used the possible method they had discussed before of allowing her to attack Servants and eradicate them in one blow without even seeing them. The attack on the soul and the spiritual body that Servants were based on was particularly effective, and was also the reason why exorcisms of a high level from the Church would also work on Servants, since they were effectively spirits given form, but still to do such a thing would require training, resources and a necessary sacrifice in the case of Ayaka. In this case, she had used her body, judging by the state it was in.</p><p>He wondered if she had actually succeeded though. Even though it should work in theory, they hadn’t actually tested it in reality, and were waiting for the chance when they would collect enough catalysts, such as preserved body material from a Servant, to make the ritual happen. It just so happened that Ayaka had managed to lure Ruler in, and had grabbed enough material over the course of her battle to serve as the inner catalyst for her magic circle bound to the tree, while Ruler’s blood spilt from the minor cuts served as the outer catalyst that bound her.</p><p>Whatever the case, he could only hope that she was successful. If he could, he would want to go to her Workshop to check, but as it were Assassin and Gray were putting their lives on the line to buy time for them, so they would just have to escape as soon as possible while they could. </p><p>“One leg and arm unresponsive, multiple blood vessels on the arms, legs and face, back burnt and branded, minor cuts spread across her body and of course the blackened fingers. Some patches of her skin also seem to have their nerves destroyed as well.”</p><p>The diagnosis Flat gave was spot-on, and left no doubt to El-Melloi as to what their next course of action would be.</p><p>“Heal her up as much as you can, then let’s carry her to the second emergency exit.”</p><p>It was much closer than the other two exits, and would allow them to get far away much quicker.</p><p>“There’s something at the base of her neck.”</p><p>Waver almost jumped out of his skin when he heard Flat’s voice right in his ear, but he managed to control himself and not react. He could tell that somehow Flat had linked a string of mana from his own throat to Waver’s ear, but how exactly he done so, and how it worked, was beyond him.</p><p>“I can’t tell if it’s actively influencing her actions currently, but regardless she might become dangerous later on.”</p><p>Flat’s mouth and face showed no sign of his word as he helped Ayaka stand, but the message was clearly conveyed to Waver. </p><p>“Let’s go. We don’t know what other enemies could be lurking around.”</p><p>Flat looked at him, nodded, then started walking while supporting Ayaka, Waver walking in front as the vanguard.</p><p>If it was the old Flat, he might not have understood, but as he was now, he could at least read his actions and words and understand his teacher’s intent. </p><p>When he didn’t tell him to ditch Ayaka directly and instead said to go, he was indicating that they were still bringing her along, and then his second sentence was for the purpose of telling Flat that by bringing her along, they could potentially flush out the person who had planted the object in her spine by biting the bait they had prepared for them, which meant saving Ayaka like the person probably expected them to.</p><p>The trio made their way to the passageway, heading out into the interconnected tunnel that opened in an obscure alleyway as the surface exit.</p>
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<a name="section0119"><h2>119. Chapter 118</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 118</p><p>A flash of marine blue streaked past Assassin’s ears, narrowly cutting past her bare head before drilling into the concrete behind her. Assassin kicked up the baseball cap lying on the ground, hooking it with the toes of her boots as it flew up in the air towards Rider’s face. Undaunted by her vision suddenly blocked, the black handgun barked as it spat out several bullets, both solid and liquid. The metal projectiles flew much faster, whistling as they drilled the air with their lead noses, shell casings dropping to the floor, while the water blasts had a wider impact area, with even near misses cutting Assassins skin from the aquatic blasts.</p><p>Still, she managed to dodge most, Rider’s aim mostly off from the baseball cap blocking her, but she was unable to attack as the bullets sealed off her path of advancing on Rider. The baseball cap was quickly knocked aside by Rider, and then the broom was thrust with great force, a vortex of water gathering at the mophead.</p><p>Ducking under the mop, Assassin stabbed upwards with her sword. The glow lit up Rider’s pale face, reflecting off her pale yellow irises as she bent her neck, the tip sailing right past her chin. As if on cue, both brought down their weapons at the same time, the mop’s head and blade of the sword falling in sync. </p><p>Assassin shot out her hand, gripping the staff of the broom and resisting Rider’s <br/>strength as the swirling water hung over her head, inches away from ripping away her hair, stray droplets splashing onto her golden hair. Rider performed a similar maneuver, but instead of using her bare hands, she used Secace, the black gun catching the blade with the underside of barrel, the blade barely scratching the tough outer casing wrapping around it. </p><p>The two of them maintained their deadlock for a few seconds, both of them trembling with exertion. With equal strength, it came down to the question of how much energy both sides had spent earlier. Rider had fought Avenger and expended some energy to create the flood earlier to escape her, so she wasn’t in top condition, but Assassin was more wounded from her more recent fight with Avenger, the cuts and bruises from near-misses weighing her down, not to mention the effort and injuries she sustained while riding Avenger in the process of subduing her.</p><p>Sweat rolled down their faces as their arms shook, the sword metal screeching against the gun’s outer shell as the staff of the broom creaked, their hands exerting so much force that the red pole was starting to bend slightly near the middle, between the two hands grasping it. </p><p>The one to break the stalemate was the black leather boots shooting out from underneath to kick at Rider’s shins, Assassin using Riders broom pushing down at her to provide momentum as she stopped resisting it all of a sudden, the blade locked with the gun acting as a fulcrum, sending Assassin flying at full force near the ground, one leg bent at a 90 degree angle to provide support as she aimed at the soles of her boot at Rider.</p><p>The kick landed before Rider could shift it out of the way, her hand twisting the broom shaft to swing towards Assassin’s head, the air whistling as it blurred into a red arc. Without any way to dodge while still standing on one leg, while her body was parallel to the ground as well, Assassin raised her sword and both arms, bracing for the blow that was about to arrive.</p><p>*kshang*</p><p>The clanging of the two weapons screeched into Gray’s ears, the blow pushing Assassin’s even more forwards as she took the blow and rolled with it, having anticipated that it would come with great force, especially with the water pushing the mophead, the reason to a trail of mist that followed behind the mop’s movements.</p><p>As Assassin tucked into a ball and rolled past, Rider saw an opportunity, for the first time unironically using the mop for its original purpose in battle. Gripping the mop with both hands, she mopped it across the floor, the handgun dematerializing. As intended, the frothing mop swept across the floor, gliding easily while Rider spun to follow Assassin’s body, the mop catching up to the Servant. The water shooting out of it simultaneously made it faster, and acted as a lubricant on the floor to make it go even faster with less friction. </p><p>Stopping herself mid-roll with a blade to the floor, Assassin hopped up, and landed straight on the red shaft above the mophead that was poised to strike her from behind. Even with the extra weight of Assassin weighing down the mop, Rider was still easily able to lift her weapon, but before she had the chance to shake off Assassin, Assassin struck first, her sword cutting forward in a straight thrust like a trained fencer, while from the left, right and back, portals spat out brilliant bolts of energy not dissimilar in color to Rider’s own water blasts.</p><p>It was still dodgeable by Rider though, who had created a small puddle of water under feet and could just barely get through the gaps between the shot, if she let go of her mop and fell flat on the ground, bending her neck to go diagonally between each energy bolt. </p><p>Then an arrow of light pierced her leg, freezing her in place at that crucial moment. </p><p>Gray lowered her bow, her eyes blinking as her breaths quickened, wondering if she had actually landed the shot. She had just recovered earlier not long after the two had started fighting, and had gotten into position to fire shot if she could, enhancing her senses and reinforcing her eyes, hands and arms to fire a shot at the right moment. Her non-presence earlier had made Rider neglect to pay attention to her, resulting in her actions going unnoticed while she became engrossed in her fight with Assassin. </p><p>To her credit, Rider only flinched for a second or so, but that was all that was needed. Even as she resumed her actions, her feet slipping on the water and letting her fall faster, the bolts brushed past her head and neck, huge chunks of flesh and bone simply vaporized as the bolts ate through them easily. </p><p>Her body tumbled to the ground in a barely controlled manner, her hand pushing against the ground with such raw force that her body slammed into the ceiling before it fell down as she clumsily evaded the downwards smash from Secret-calibur once Assassin realized she wasn’t dead.</p><p>She looked more like a zombie than a human at this point, her facial bone structure completely exposed, the blood and flesh around them charred into black coal from the heat of the projectiles. Part of her forehead was missing as well, and the gray matter could be seen pulsing under the fluorescent lights, a clear liquid leaking out of various newly opened orifices.</p><p>Still, she stood up, somewhat unsteadily as her knees bent at odd angles, her body sloppily assuming a combat stance.</p><p>“ASsrraShi-”</p><p>Before her ruined mouth could finish, she was gone.</p>
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<a name="section0120"><h2>120. Chapter 119</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 119</p><p>The blood spilt on the floor turned to gold, shimmering like a mirage before it drifted up in the air, the stains fading away like they were never there in the first place. Assassin stared at where Rider had stood a moment ago, her shoulders still tense, her blade held out in front of her, before she relaxed slightly, her shoulders sagging. Picking up the baseball cap on the ground, she dusted it off, before returning it to its rightful place on her head. Pulling the scarf off the limp body of Avenger, she wrapped it around her neck, pushing one end under her ponytail, before flipping both ends behind her back, the long blue silky cloth trailing on her back. </p><p>Walking back to her Master, she gave her a nod of thanks.</p><p>“Nice assist, Gray.”</p><p>“It was the least I could do.”</p><p>Gray remained modest in the face of her achievement, though she didn’t duck her head in embarrassment, simply tugging on the hoodie slightly, a habit left over when she used to hide her blushing face with the fabric. </p><p>Assassin looked back at Avenger, the black armor cracked and shattered in various places, her arms and legs splayed in a spread-eagled position on the ground.</p><p>“Are we going to kill her? What do you think, Gray?”</p><p>They could kill Avenger right now when she was defenseless, but it was also beneficial to keep her alive to find out how she had manifested, and who had summoned her. The problem was that when she woke up, they would have a hard time of restraining her, if that was even possible in the first place. </p><p>“Assassin, is your scarf able to bind her securely?”</p><p>MHX shook her head, the ahoge waving from side to side.</p><p>“I know what you’re thinking Master, but just now when I was fighting her was a different story. She wasn’t able to get a good grip to rip the scarf away from her neck, whereas if it was used to tie her up, her arms would be able to apply enough strength to tear it in two.”</p><p>Gray nodded, furrowing her eyebrows as she sank in thought.</p><p>“We could try maiming her though. As a Servant, it shouldn’t kill her, and it’ll be a surefire way to keep her behaved. The only problem will be if she has a special ability that will activate from that, such as instantly restoring her lost limbs, but I doubt she has such an ability from her overwhelmingly offensive combat style. Still, it never hurts to be careful.”</p><p>Gray looked shocked for a moment at MHX suggestion, the thought of harming her opponents why they were down never crossing her mind, let alone cutting their limbs off. But what she said made sense, and it was probably the best course of action if they wanted to preserve Avenger for research purposes as well to find out the cause of the problems in the Holy Grail. El-Melloi was quite sure the rogue Servant was related to the corrupted knife they had been given, and the armor itself seemed similar in some respects.</p><p>“I suppose...if that’s the only way, we’ll do it.”</p><p>Assassin nodded, then withdrew her sword again, the golden blade extending from the hilt. Walking over to Avenger’s fallen body, she took aim at the exposed points in the armor on the backs of the knees and the elbows. With Avenger still unmoving, it was an easy task to strike these weaknesses in the armour structure.</p><p>*swish*</p><p>The golden blade flashed, slicing and dipping at four points quickly. Out of thoughtfulness for her Master, she didn’t completely cut off the limbs, instead targeting the muscles and nerves connecting the arms and legs, severing them just enough that Avenger would be severely hampered if she tried to move them, essentially rendering her disabled, instead of outright becoming an amputee. </p><p>Small spurts of blood shot up, then fell back down. Avenger’s body twitched at the stimulation, Avenger’s eyes fluttering briefly, but a firm stomp on the back of her helm, the open space between her helm and gorget that showed the dark undersuit, with Assassin’s boot quickly put her back to sleep as soon as the Servant sensed her awakening. </p><p>Gray nodded, then gestured down the hallway.</p><p>“Carry her, then let’s go meet up with the others.”</p><p>Assassin slung Avenger over her shoulders, Avenger’s torso directly above her neck, while her arms dropped on the right side, and the legs were secured with her left arm to prevent them from flopping around. Hunched over slightly to let Avenger rest on her upper back, she caught up to her Master, walking besides her as she chatted with her the rest of the way.</p><p>Flat carried Ayaka on her back, considering her body’s condition that slowed her down if they let her walk. Instead, they entered the sewers with Flat still carrying her, Waver going ahead to set up their escape vehicles in advance. Setting Ayaka down against the sewer wall, Flat stretched, rolling his arms in his shoulder sockets as he ironed out a few kinks in his muscles from shouldering her weight for so long. </p><p>As he was massaging his own shoulders, he abruptly sensed the use of magecraft nearby, his eyes whipping to the opposite end of the tunnel they were in, beyond where Waver was setting up the quad bikes, dispelling the warding spells placed on them. </p><p>“Mentor, watch out!”</p><p>Waver stepped back from the quad bikes, using them as cover for his body as he half hid his body behind their bulky frames, his head peeking out over them as he crouched, keeping most of his profile behind the vehicles. Riffling in his overcoat pockets, he palmed a couple of crystals into his hand, his Circuits revving up in preparation.</p><p>A cobalt bird outlined in glowing wire appeared around the corner, the blue giving way to white as it gently flapped its wings, though it didn’t need to do so in order to hover.</p><p>“Greetings, magi of the Clock Tower. My name is Illya von Einzbern of the Einzbern family. How do you do?”</p>
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<a name="section0121"><h2>121. Chapter 121</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 121<br/>
She was merely caught by surprise for a moment, before she immediately smashed Avenger into the ground, the concrete caving into a crater as Avenger stilled once she slammed into the ground. With the muscles in her arms and legs tampered with by Assassin, Avenger was unable to do anything, powerlessly flopping onto the floor after her surprise headbutt, a growl emanating from her throat in spite of her pitiful state. </p><p>While Saber was distracted by Avenger, Caster targeted the fleeing Assassin and her Master, several golden discs flying out to chase them, turning vertically to slide past Avenger and Saber on the left and right side, before going horizontal again to cut off Assassin. Blue spears like icicles shaped into weapons appeared, their form appearing for a brief moment, before they turned into blue streaks of light, zooming to catch up to and overtake the golden discs that spun incessantly, the spears quickly reaching Assassin.</p><p>Like homing missiles, they zoomed in on Assassin, each spear seeking to pin down the Assassin and lock her down to prevent her escape. The refined tip of each spear lanced towards Assassin with blistering speed, even Assassin eyes struggling to catch their form after they picked up speed. Though they were unable to turn, allowing Assassin to predict their trajectory, they were still so fast that she barely avoided the first two by the hair of her teeth, and the third struck her sleeve, drawing a red line across her arm as it easily ripped through the fabric. </p><p>The fourth slammed straight into her leg, cutting the tendons on the back as she stumbled to a halt, blood spilling from the wound on her legs. Buzzing lowly, the golden discs glided past her before coming to a stop right in front of her, the three discs expanding in size and overlapping with each other while rotating until it become a wall blocking her way, the three discs of varying sizes rotating within each other, blocking all paths of escape in front of her. </p><p>Left with no choice, Assassin turned around, facing her pursuants with blade in hand, Secret-calibur activating once more with a golden sheen to the blade lighting up the hallways. Still, with her mana supply from her Master running low, and the fatigue from struggling with Avenger earlier, she wasn’t in the best shape. Coupled with the wound on her leg just now, her chances weren’t looking very good. Still, as a Servant, it was her duty to protect her Master, and her pride as a Saber-killer wouldn’t allow her to surrender to THE Saber in this Holy Grail War without a fight, though she wasn’t above running away to fight her again in perfect condition later. That was a tactical retreat, a way of fighting back in a roundabout manner, completely different from surrendering without a fight.</p><p>Doing her best to stand straight despite the bruises and splintering pain spreading on her back, her eyes switched  between Saber and Caster, her mind running at full steam to formulate a plan of attack. </p><p>“Your fight is with me.”</p><p>Without even the slightest inkling of her presence, the two Servants could barely avoid the bare fist that flew their way, with Caster getting her cheek grazed as Kuzuki tried to redirect the fist, though he only succeeded in slightly pushing the fist, the Caster’s fair skin reddening from the near miss. Saber was standing further in front of Caster, so she had a slight window of forewarning, but a blast of crimson lightning forced her to lift her sword to intercept it, opening her lower ribs for a punch that slipped through her guard with pure speed. Though it was a light punch, she still felt a teeth rattle, the armor denting slightly from impact, though it was far from lethal. </p><p>Just like that, Berserker landed two hits on both Saber and Caster without breaking a sweat. She had even passed the two Master’s without laying a hand on them, a sign of her sheer confidence in her own abilities, a warning to the other two Servants that she could crush them without targeting their weak points, the Masters. </p><p>Saber readied her sword, tamping down the pain from her ribs while Caster lifted her staff, the ornamented top glowing a mesmerising shade of blue as mana gathered in it. Resisting the urge to rub her stinging cheek and the bruise that was slowly forming, she called out to Berserker. </p><p>“Why are you protecting them, Berserker?”</p><p>Berserker looked at them with cool yellow eyes. </p><p>“My Master has business with these magi. Until then, I cannot allow you to lay a hand on them. If you so much as harm a single hair on their bodies, I will make you pay.”</p><p>Berserker’s double-bladed lightsaber spat out, the crimson energy bars humming a low, dangerous tone that all but told them to stay back, crimson electricity wrapping around her other arm as an added incentive for them. </p><p>In addition, Berserker’s innate ability was already at work. The seemingly light blows she had landed on both Caster and Saber had their sensations amplified, the pain multiplying due to her Concept as an anti-Artoria weapon. It was an established fact that Caster and Saber were both Artorias, and for them even a light slap would feel like a serious punch. Though the actual damage might not be that bad, they were already affected mentally, their estimation of Berserker’s abilities rising as they become extremely wary of her, the two of them measuring Berserker with their eyes as they settled into position, with Saber standing straight in front of Caster, the many swords that Caster used as catalysts arrayed behind her and at her sides. </p><p>They needed to ask what Avenger and Assassin were doing together, but with Berserker now in the why, it was going to be an uphill battle. Fortunately it didn’t seem like Assassin was going to join in, with her propping Gray against the wall before she stood next to her, warily looking at the golden rings rotating in front of them, on guard against them suddenly attacking the two. </p><p>On the ground, Avenger twitched, her arms and legs slowly restoring as the cut muscle fibers linked one by one, before Berserker brutally electrocuted Avenger, smoke rising from the gaps in the black armor as Avenger frothed at the mouth, then Berserker swept her lightsaber on her limbs, severing and cauterizing the stumps to prevent any more regeneration. Despite that, Avenger remained alive, albeit unconscious. </p><p>Throwing Avenger’s limp body behind her, Berserker casually stood in place, lightning crackling around her as she watched Saber and Caster, the air between them crackling with open hostility and fighting spirit.</p>
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<a name="section0122"><h2>122. Chapter 120.5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 120.5</p><p>Fuyuki Winter</p><p>“Mooouuuuu, are you going to pass Christmas all by yourself this year Shirou?”</p><p>Taiga stretched lazily in the kotatsu as she sighed, wondering how her cute little brother still didn’t have anyone to spend Christmas with.</p><p>“It’s not like I don’t have anyone. I’m inviting Issei over dinner, and Sakura will be there too, so it’s not that bad.”</p><p>For a moment, Taiga conjured the image of Issei and Emiya holding hands, while Sakura looked on, the shadows darkening in her eyes. A shiver went up her spine, and she quickly turned to look at Shirou with accusing eyes.</p><p>“Shirouuu, Christmas is supposed to be celebrated with your s-i-g-n-i-f-i-c-a-n-t other you know? Although Issei is your best friend, don’t you have anyone else you can celebrate with, hmmm?”</p><p>She raised her eyebrows for extra effect.</p><p>“Fuji-nee, you’re spending Christmas with us though.”</p><p>It was a fatal blow. She crumpled onto the kotatsu table, her face dead and lifeless. Her lips stammered, her brain desperately trying to find an excuse.</p><p>“I-It’s not like I want to spend Christmas with you guys o-ok? I definitely have other people who want to spend it with me, including those of the opposite gender, i-it’s just that I can’t rest easy unless I supervise you guys and your Christmas dinner! Yes, who knows what you’ll get up to if I’m not here, after all you’re in that age already!”</p><p>A bit of color returned to her face as she managed to spout out something that wasn’t complete bull. </p><p>“Then I’ll stow away the sake tonight so you can act like a proper guardian supervising us then.”</p><p>“NOOOOOOO, anything but the sake! I swear, I’ll stop pestering you, just please let me drink! Otherwise I won’t have anything else to drown the sorrow!”</p><p>It had basically become a Emiya family tradition at that point for Taiga to drink away her sorrows at not having a boyfriend/being dumped, leaving her alone to spend Christmas, with only Shirou as company. Sakura had been surprised the first year she had spent Christmas with them, but the next year after prolonged contact with Taiga, she had basically become used to it. <br/>“Just don’t get too crazy tonight.”</p><p>He remembered fighting for his life once during Christmas when Taiga had her custom shinai nearby after getting drunk. It was a very memorable experience, to say the least.</p><p>“Ah, by the way for the KFC order, I’ll head out to pick it up later in the evening, so you can focus on prepping the other dishes.”</p><p>“Thank you very much Fuji-nee. I appreciate your help, the KFC restaurant is pretty far away.”</p><p>“Hehe, just rely on this reliable onee-san for anything!”</p><p>The Christmas morning passed by peaceful in the Emiya household, blissfully unaware of the tribulations the next year would bring.</p><p>*Pssshhhhhhhh*</p><p>The water slid through her purple hair, long streams of water snaking on her pale skin onto the white tiles. </p><p>The scent of lavender shampoo and body soap hung heavily in the air, the steam trapping the fragrance with the humidity, magnifying in the small shower room, yet her nose could still smell the gross putrefaction of the pit.</p><p>Running her hands through her hair, she closed her eyes, conjuring up the image of what she was going to see tonight. </p><p>The red hair gently reflects the yellow ceiling lights, the crispy, enticing odour of fried chicken, a loud sobbing and yelling from the woman hugging the sake bottle.</p><p>Her lips tugged upwards slightly, the wretched smell in her nose receding a little as her spirits lifted.</p><p>*crrk*</p><p>The bathroom door creaked open, and even without turning around she knew who it was, and what he had come for. Closing her eyes, she numbed body and mind, surrendering all physical sensation to the whims of the hands that started caressing her hungrily. </p><p>“Alright, perfect! With this, I’ll be able to get through Christmas with peace of mind!”</p><p>After staying up all night finishing her personal project, she had finally managed to streamline the spells loaded into the gems, and had worked out how to maximize the efficiency of their output. Collapsing onto her bed, she rolled on the sheets several times, before finally settling in place. </p><p>I just want to sleep…</p><p>Her eyes drifted close as the luxurious bed beckoned her into the land of slumber, her breathing steadying out as the rise and fall of her chest became steady.</p><p>The sharp ringing of the phone pierced her drowsy mind, her eyelids popping open again. Grumbling wordlessly, she dragged herself out of the bed and plodded to the vibrating antique phone, still using a rotary dial to input the numbers. Doing her best to push down the rising headache from her lack of sleep and the sharp ringing, she picked up the receiver. </p><p>“Hello? This is Tohsaka Rin.”</p><p>“TOHSAKA!!! Where have you been, we’re all waiting for you here at the mall!!!”</p><p>Kaede’s voice roared through the tinny speaker into Rin’s unprepared ears, straight up dropping the honorific with which she usually called Rin in her impatience. Rin almost dropped the phone, her mind now wide-awake from the sudden wake-up call. </p><p>“What do yo-”</p><p>Like a flash of lightning, she suddenly recalled the appointment she had made with Kaede, her band of friends and Ayako. They were supposed to meet up in the mall for lunch and walk around there for Christmas, but wasn’t it still early in the morning?</p><p>Looking at the clock, her mouth opened, her jaw dropping to the ground. </p><p>It was already one past twelve, a whole hour after their supposed meeting.</p><p>She had slept from eight in the morning til now, instead of just catching a short nap like she had thought earlier.</p><p>u-UAHHH!!!</p><p>“I’ll be there soon, just walk around without me first!!!”</p><p>She smacked the phone back onto the receiver and rushed into her bedroom, throwing on clothes and taking her essentials before rushing out of the house to meet up with them. </p><p>“Are you ready Illya?”</p><p>Berserker stood on the far side of the snowy field, yet her voice carried clear and loud all the way to Illya.</p><p>“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”</p><p>Both of them wore serious expressions, their faces grim and unyielding. Standing on either side of Illya, Sella and Leysritt clutched large guns with heavy backpacks, runes shining on the sides as frost drifted from the barrel. </p><p>“To a fair match!”</p><p>Sella and Leysritt yelled at the same time, their voices surging out on the empty field.</p><p>“One!”</p><p>Sella yelled first, her voice signalling the countdown for the battle to start. Illya clutched her hands tightly, making sure her gloves were snug and tight.</p><p>“Two.”</p><p>This time it was Leysritt, her bland voice still easily reaching Berserker on the opposite side. Patting her sides, Berserker checked her weapons, looking around to make certain of their positions one last time. </p><p>“Three!”</p><p>The two both shouted at the same time, their voices harmonizing with each other and echoing out, the air tense and heavy.</p><p>“START!!!”</p><p>Instantly, the bullets start flying. </p><p>Armed with heavy guns, the snowballs spat out of their wide barrels at a frightening rate, easily slicing through the air like real bullets to reach Berserker in less than a minute, crossing the vast field without losing any of its velocity.</p><p>But Berserker was no longer in her original position. </p><p>Leaping high into the air, carrying to massive snowballs the size of pigs, she spun in the air and hurled them from high up, two meteors blazing down on Illya and the maids while trailing flecks of snow, a white line forming behind them. </p><p>Illya was carried out of harm's way by Leysritt as she wrapped one arm around her mistress and dashed out of the way, Sella doing so in the opposite direction, as the snowballs exploded on impact with the ground, scattering snow in every direction. </p><p>Landing on the ground, Berserker  lifted the other balls with her telekinesis, chucking them from various angles and directions at her opponents. Despite being much weaker than if she had thrown them herself physically, they still packed plenty of punch and speed. </p><p>Yet the two maids lived up to the name of Einzbern peak homunculi engineering. Utilizing inhuman strength and speed, they easily dodged and weaved between the bombardment, zig-zagging across the field until they got closer and closer to Berserker’s position. When they got close, they started opening fire on her, white snowballs shooting out of the guns, small in comparison to Berserkers, but still plenty painful if hit by one.</p><p>“Secret Frost style: Raging Blizzard!”</p><p>On command, the snowballs she’d placed on the ground drifted up, laid out at regular intervals in lines such that it looked like a spiral from above. The snowballs spun, with various pieces of loose snow ripped from the ground to join them, and for a moment the vision of both maids and Illya was blinded.</p><p>It would only last for a few seconds, but it would be enough. Ignoring the headache pounding from her usage of such a large-scale telekinesis, Berserker closed in on Sella, getting right up in her face with little notice. </p><p>Sella wasn’t a combat maid for nothing though. Instantly, she pulled the trigger, unloading on Berserker as snowball after snowball pelted her bodysuit. At such a range, it was impossible for Sella to miss, but Berserker powered through, ignoring the freezing core of ice that made even her, a Servant who was supposed to be impervious to extreme temperatures, shiver. Reaching out, she encased her fist in a large ball of snow, forming a snowball that hid her fist inside it. </p><p>The rules were simply to attack with only snow until one side was completely knocked out, and if she encased her fist in snow, it was legal. Right?</p><p>In any case, her fist flicked from the bottom of Sella’s vision, a mass of pure white flying from underneath as it socked her jaw, though the kinetic force was blunted by the snow that fell apart with one hit, shedding energy and momentum. </p><p>Being hit by a Servant, even when they were holding back and having snow to coat their fists, wasn’t something that could be casually taken by Sella. While her body didn’t go flying, her spine went from leaning slightly forward to bending backwards in an instant, her head snapping back from the blow. Her mind was awash with pain as her chin throbbed, though it wasn’t to the extent of being knocked out instantly like a human would be. </p><p>Without looking at Berserker while still in that position, she lifted the barrel of her gun, the entire gun and backpack just slightly less heavier than a small car, and flicked another switch with her thumb while holding down the trigger. </p><p>A devastating beam of snow poured out of it, frigid air mixed with heavily condensed snow swirling into a tight beam of white destruction as it slammed into Berserker, her arms in a cross in front of her to ward off the damage. Her arms quickly started trembling as the combined might of the kinetic energy and chill wore her down, her school uniform miraculously not getting destroyed instantly as it slowly wore down, bits of fabric peeling off from the continuous blast. </p><p>Then a second blast froze Berserker back, landing square on the small of her back as Leysritt steadily fired at her, her bland face betraying none of her emotions as she simply stood there while holding down the trigger, the barrel never wavering once even with its weight and the forces travelling through and out of the barrel. </p><p>It was far from over though…</p><p>This much wasn’t enough to severely cripple Berserker. While she couldn’t deny that it hurt, she could still easily break out from such a deadlock. Her glasses fogged up as she exhaled a large breath, enduring the beams keeping her down as she focused, sinking to one knee to make them think she was getting exhausted as frost spread across her arms and back from the icy blasts. </p><p>Slowly, two hastily shaped snowballs lifted up from the ground, just behind the two maids, and stealthily glided to the edges of their vision right next to them. With an unvoiced command, they hurtled towards Sella and Leysritt’s eyes, intent on blinding them for a moment. With how close they were after she had slowly and stealthily snuck them into range, it was pretty much unavoidable, despite the slow speed they struck with. </p><p>Until they were struck to pieces by two swords of glowing thread, shattering the snowballs easily. </p><p>Standing on the sides, Illya smirked, her familiars morphing back into bird form as they hovered around Sella and Leysritt, ready to defend them against further attacks.</p><p>Berserker blinked, before closing her eyes, this time focusing her energy into her legs, creating lightning on her arms and back to revitalize her frozen muscles as she spun, the beams not adjusting fast enough as she used the force from the beams hitting her to spin like a top, her blade materializing and spitting out to block the snow, allowing her to escape, though not unscathed.</p><p>Jumping back, she lifted another humongous snowball, her left hand poised to block any more ice beams or snowballs that might come her way. This was going to be a long snowball fight.</p><p>‘Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go  and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”</p><p>The sonorous, deep voice rang across the modest chapel, the few occupants of the wooden pews listening intently to the priest as he intoned with great pomp, speaking the words as if they held great power. Recounting the circumstances of Jesus’s birth, he laid out the verses one by one, telling the Scripture as they were written in the Bible. </p><p>The clock soon struck, and his task ended, the special Christmas service he held over as he watched the few people who had attended filter out the door, himself still standing at the pulpit in front of the cross. </p><p>The birth of a saviour who would save the world and humanity, yet who had come to be in such a modest way in an unknown town, far from being heralded in such a manner that all would know, like the birth of royalty. While many proclaimed his arrival, few heard, and fewer still sought him out. Of them, only the three magi, or wise men, and the shepherds found him.</p><p>His own saviour...no, perhaps it would be better to call it the saviour of mankind as well, since it was born from it’s wishes, the collective aggregation of all it’s desires. It wasn’t just his saviour alone, though it had indeed saved him. If it was born, it would be unknown to most people as well. No one would know of it, nor would anyone visit it until it visited them. </p><p>In fact, he might be the only person to visit it, besides the golden king. When it was born, he would surely be by its side, looking on at it’s actions.</p><p>Raising his head, he gazed at the figure nailed to the cross on the walls.</p><p>Until then, he could only wait. </p><p>In a small study somewhere in London, Waver slumped over on the sofa, grumbling to himself.</p><p>“Reines, that brat...forcing me to take these “favours”...repaying my debt doesn’t mean…”</p><p>Gray listened to his complaints through the door, wondering what to do with the cake in her hands. Maybe she should just-</p><p>“BIG BEN LONDON STAR MERRY CHRISTMASSSS!!!”</p><p>Wave instinctively chucked the cigarette in his hands at Flat, who had somehow managed to climb through the window, while Gray burst through the door, one hand clutching Add while the other balanced the cake, the cake just teetering as it leaned to one side.</p><p>“What the fuck! Flat, didn’t I tell you to stop coming through the window? And how did you penetrate the wards anyway?”</p><p>Waver practically roared at his student, his heart still beating wildly from the sudden fright. Flat for his part, was completely unruffled, happily smiling as he presented a wrapped package to his teacher.</p><p>“I thought I’d give a present to the greatest teacher in the world on Christmas, so I personally made one with all my skill! Here, take a look!”</p><p>Waver was about to ask Gray what she was doing there, but seeing Flat so insistent, he had no choice but to take the package and open it after it was all but pushed into his chest, the wrapping tape already half falling apart before he even received it. </p><p>The cake slipped from Gray’s hands when she became unable to suppress her laughter, the words “MASTER V”, “PROFESSOR CHARISMA”, “London☆Star” and several more woven into the scarf, the black letters contrasting boldly on the yellow background, golden borders lining the edges of the scarf. </p><p>“Hup!”</p><p>Easily catching it, Svin lifted it into Gray’s hands, placing it into her unresisting hands.</p><p>“Take care not to drop it again, Miss Gray.”</p><p>Saying so, he took a deep sniff of the scent wafting off her, his face becoming content as the muscle relaxed, while Gray backed away slowly. </p><p>“Stop sniffing her you dog!”</p><p>Smacking Svin on the head, Yvette managed to shake him out of his sudden strangeness, annoyance finding its way onto his face as he glared at his fellow student. </p><p>“We’re here to celebrate Christmas with my darling anyways, so let’s do that of bothering Gray!”</p><p>Saying so, she threw herself at Waver, who expertly dodged it and allowed her to land on the couch. </p><p>Behind the two students, other members of El-Melloi’s class waited outside in the hallway, wearing a variety of expressions as they entered the study. Though not all of them looked happy, it was certain that in their hearts, they wanted to show some appreciation to the teacher who had looked out for them and taught them so much during his time in the classroom as their mentor.</p><p>Kuzuki sat on the temple steps, looking up at the night sky. Despite the chill in the winter air, he didn’t feel cold in the slightest, his well-trained body able to handle the temperature quite easily.</p><p>“Feeling lonely?”</p><p>The man sat down next to him, holding a tokkuri and two ochoko in his hands, a traditional Japanese sake drinking cup and flask. The sake gently sloshed in the ceramic container, the bottle clinking on the stone surface as he placed the cups next to them on the stairs. </p><p>“It’s not a night to be spending by yourself you know. Here, have a cup.”</p><p>The clear liquid flowed from the flask into the cup, the man offering Kuzuki a cup of warm sake that the man accepted, lifting it to his lips as he took a sip of the sweet alcohol, the fresh aroma of the drink wafting into his nose as he downed some more. Almost immediately, he began to feel waves of warmth emanating from deep in his body, the muscles loosening slightly.</p><p>The two men sat in companionable silence, each thinking their own thoughts as they gazed up at the sky, drinking sake side by side on the cold stone of the stairs, snow piling on either side of them.</p>
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<a name="section0123"><h2>123. Chapter 120</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 120</p><p>Shirou stared down at the elevator shaft, the loose cables swaying with current of air drifting from below to the outside, the warmer air in the base rising out. </p><p>“I think I can jump in if I reinforce myself, but-”</p><p>“Shirou there’s no need, just let me handle it.”</p><p>Saber made to take him up in a princess carry, her arms ready to lift him up, but he backed away against the wall, resisting her steady advances.</p><p>“She’s right Emiya-kun. It’ll be faster and safer to let her carry you.”</p><p>Kuzuki’s flat voice reached Shirou’s ears, and faced with such logic, he had no choice but to reluctantly allow himself to be carried by Saber, his face turning a tinge of red, though it was hard to tell in the darkness. </p><p>One by one, they jumped into the elevator shaft, Saber’s landing denting the ceiling further, then they entered the opened hatch, before Kuzukis jumped down, Caster also reinforcing herself in a similar manner to jump down with her Master. Zouken used his own ways to follow them, being the last to descend.</p><p>Within the dark corridors, they could see remnants of the conflicts that had occurred less than an hour ago. Scratched walls, broken lights, shattered glass on the floor and large ruts on the ground. </p><p>Caster and Saber placed their hands on their respective weapons, Saber clutching her sword with both hands, Caster lifting her staff in the air.</p><p>“Leoht.”</p><p>A speck the size of a firefly appeared, shimmering a iridescent blue that illuminated the tunnel in front of them. Several more popped into existence, drifting from the bottom end of her staff into the air, flying just like fireflies, lazily swinging from left to right and whimsically going in loops. They went ahead, loosely sticking to each other as they formed a group of five, sparks of light dancing in the air.</p><p>Shirou silently marveled at the basic magecraft that he could only dream of performing, before he followed the rest of them, walking down the dark corridor. He couldn’t help but feel nervous though, this being the first time he was willingly walking forward into danger in this War, instead of danger finding him.</p><p>The ruined hallways did nothing to dispel the uneasiness in Shirou’s heart. The gashes on the wall, the seemingly endless lines of broken lights with the glass littered on the floor, and the obvious signs of battle between two beings of inhuman power marking the innards of the base, with rubble and concrete dust aplenty in the corridors they walked through. Shirou had to frequently sidestep or step over these piles of concrete and steel, his shoes occasionally crunching on one of the smaller fragments of concrete with a sound that made him wince. </p><p>Still, even with the tenseness of the whole group that was ready for battle at any moment, they didn’t really come across anything of note for the first few minutes they spent walking in the base. All they could really see was the leftovers from the carnage earlier, the broken rooms and corridors serving as the only proof. </p><p>However, both Saber and Caster were adamant that there was another Servant besides them in the base, and quickly headed for their general direction, walking through the corridors, down the stairs and heading down more drab hallways with purpose, their senses tingling with the presence of another Servant. </p><p>They weren’t disappointed either.</p><p>While Shirou struggled to catch up with them, with Kuzuki just slightly ahead of him, the two had already come to a face-off with Assassin carrying Avenger, and her Master Gray behind, looking at the two approaching Servants warily. Zouken delayed his arrival, watching from the shadows.</p><p>“Who is that Servant?”</p><p>Avenger might have been unconscious with her armor mostly intact, it still wasn’t difficult to sense the roiling anger stored in her body, directed at Artorias especially, muted and dull though it may be with her mind asleep. It was only natural for Saber and Caster to question Assassin regarding this, with her instincts blaring alarms at them when they saw the black armored figure on Assassin’s shoulders. They had no doubts that it was a Servant, but they couldn’t tell who it was, though it felt horribly familiar, like an itch they couldn’t scratch.</p><p>“This is...my long-lost cousin.”</p><p>She wasn’t lying. In her own universe, Mordred wasn’t her daughter, but a long-lost cousin that simply got too attached to her, leading to a tragic end(?). </p><p>“Don’t try to fool us Assassin. We could just defeat you and find out for ourselves.”</p><p>Caster’s words rung true. There were two of them and one of her, while she was also exhausted as well from the battle earlier, with energy reserves running low, along with her Master being moderately tired as well, though she had managed to recover a portion of her strength and mana earlier. </p><p>On Caster and Sabers heads, their ahoge twitched, darting forwards slightly towards Assassin and Avenger.</p><p>Assassin saw this, and internally frowned, before carefully choosing her next few words.</p><p>“I’ll just give you the Servant and be on my way.”</p><p>Surprised at her sudden agreeability, the two didn’t stop her when she set down Avenger down on the ground and untied her, undoing the restraints which mainly consisted of her own scarf tied around Avenger’s still disabled limbs, though her regeneration was bringing closer and closer to being whole again. </p><p>Assassin could also sense that with the presence of two more Artorias, Avenger’s regeneration was getting faster, and would likely completely heal in the next half an hour, maybe faster if she consciously willed it. </p><p>With the aggression pointed at her by the two Servants who didn’t seem inclined to let her and her Master go, she decided to beat a hasty retreat with the assistance of her opponent. </p><p>Stealthily, she pressed against Avenger’s back while undoing the bonds, passing energy into her opponent’s body, then manifested Secret-calibur with Avenger in front to block Saber and Caster’s view of her doing so.</p><p>“Here, catch!”</p><p>Saber and Caster had already recovered from their initial shock at Assassin releasing the Servant to their care, and were already moving forward towards her, though not to the point of charging straight at her owing to the fact that she hadn’t displayed any overt hostility yet. Thus, they were caught by surprise from the brilliant flash of light stabbing at their eyes, the Secret-calibur overloading with energy to turn into a blinding brilliance. Assassin could only do this when she was really concentrating though, so it was useless in battle, but it could be used in situations such as now where she pretended to untie Avenger when she was really concentrating on doing it.</p><p>Assassin smirked at their faces of surprise, even as she was already running backwards to pick up her Master and retreat. The black body hurtling at them was an added layer of obstacles, with the eyes in the helm cracking open, even though the legs and arms were still drifting uselessly in the air, unable to be moved.</p><p>Saber caught the body, and was immediately headbutted on the chin, her head making a sharp crack as her hair flipped into the air, her face left staring at the sky from the force of the headbutt.</p><p>“ARRTHHUURRR!!!!”</p>
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<a name="section0124"><h2>124. Chapter 122</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 122</p><p>Berserker felt like an immovable mountain, standing in their way as she made no attempt to charge at them, stoically standing in place with her lightsaber humming, the lightning wrapping around her body in tight ropes, each coil containing enough energy to power a car. </p><p>Shirou looked at Berserker, the monstrous pressure settling on his shoulders as he stared at the Servant, the presence of an otherworldly enemy that could crush him as easily as an eggshell weighing down on him. His heartbeat sped up, the palms of his hands turning slick as sweat ran down not just there, but on his back and nape as well, his breath speeding up to match his nervousness and provide oxygen for his now rapid heart rate. </p><p>This was an enemy that was called from bygone legends, a one-man army capable of rebelling against god’s and monsters. Though it may be that their strength varied, there was no doubt that each and every Servant was an extraordinary existence that passed the ken of normal humans. Though in Berserker’s case, she was from an alternate universe that barely resembled this one, a place filled with Servants and various types of energy, where only seven humans remained, the seven Masters leftover from a past war that was long forgotten, lost to the sands of time. </p><p>Even so, for Berserker to briefly become the head of an empire that ruled the galaxy before she abdicated out of apathy, was proof of her strength, that able to subjugate the mighty warriors of the Servant-verse, controlling a mighty army that went unrivalled in the vast reaches of space. Her special factor, the anti-Artoria Concept carved onto her Spirit Graph, granted her a boon against the strongest enemies she faced there, including her counterpart and once-rival, now her closest friend, Assassin. </p><p>Shackled to a Master and following her orders in a Holy Grail War, a ritual that she vaguely grasped the basics of after the Grail stuffed the information into her head, she was no longer able to act so freely as she once did with her friend. Her loyalty was to her Master here, an obligation that she intended to fulfill to her utmost, and Illya was a Master that she took a liking to, the most important factor for her. </p><p>If she killed Assassin here, it didn’t mean that she was gone forever. They were simply both copies of the original, granted a fraction of their original strength to accomplish their purpose as familiars for their Masters, then returning to the Grail as energy to fuel its final purpose. Whether Illya ordered her to kill herself or not to fulfill the final wish of her family was inconsequential to her, since she just wanted to enjoy herself as much as possible, and she wouldn’t mind doing it for Illya anyways, but something told her Illya probably wouldn’t do it. </p><p>In any case, she was still glad that she could protect Assassin like this, even if it was just for a moment. Being able to repay her and spend more time with her was always a plus, and if Illya could forge an alliance with the magi, then all the better. </p><p>To Shirou though, all he could was an enemy ready to cut them down if they so much as twitched in her direction. He recalled the day when he first summoned Saber, only to be almost taken out of the War instantly, if Kuzuki hadn’t taken Illya hostage. Which was also another thing that Berserker hoped to address. If Kuzuki came out to fight her himself, she could repay him for taking Illya as a hostage. The reason she didn’t take revenge when she manifested behind him earlier was because she didn’t find it satisfying. Crushing him directly in face-to-face combat would be much better. </p><p>Berserker did what she wanted, as a free-spirited Servant that simply wanted to laze around most of the time. But when she had to work, she was surprisingly diligent. </p><p>Saber moved, her dash infused with Mana Burst pushing her far faster than her Agility ranking would suggest. The golden hair whipped backward with the wind, her emerald eyes focused on Berserker as she brought down the invisible blade the moment her feet dug into the floor and stopped her, all her momentum transferring to her arm as she added her twisting hips to the mix, adding energy to the strike that was already carrying all her momentum from the charge. </p><p>“HAH!”</p><p>To add that, Saber even shouted, a flash of adrenaline blazing through her body with the self-stimuli, empowering her body to greater heights. Mana flowed into her arm, the dragon core in her body spewing a great torrent of energy within her body and concentrating on a few select muscles, turning her first strike into a truly devastating blow. </p><p>It seemed like it would definitely hit Berserker, with the speeds she was slicing at and the sudden burst of movement sure to catch the Servant unaware, or so Saber thought. To make matters worse for Berserker, Caster’s four spears of immense speed were right behind Saber, aiming for the spots in the narrow hallway where Berserker would likely dodge, cutting off any escape routes she might have to dodge. In the end, the only way she could avoid being grievously injured would be to take the blow headon, and even that wouldn’t completely save her from injury. </p><p>Just like how a punch needed to be blocked by a proportionate amount of strength, Berserker needed to absorb the entire force of the blow while standing in place, having none of the momentum that Saber possessed from the running start. It was highly likely that she would be blown off her feet trying to directly block it, and get slammed into the wall dealing damage to her back, where the spine was located. </p><p>So she jumped.</p><p>The crimson blade met with the invisible blade, the winds wrapped around it clashing as the point of contact turned white and translucent, sparks flying as plasma scratched against holy metal, a weapon of the fae against a sword only dreamed of in science fiction. </p><p>As predicted, Berserker went flying back, unable to block the strike that could easily break through a meter of reinforced concrete, even with her high strength ranking. What she could do however, was slam into the wall with her feet, her jump sending her body sideways as she blocked, the physical force pushing her until her feet met the wall, ending up in her standing sideways on the wall, defying gravity, while Saber’s blow supported her and made her feet sink into the concrete, more cracks joining the myriad of other lines and gashes in the damaged wall. Her legs narrowly avoided being skewered by Caster’s spears, the slender spikes missing it’s mark.</p><p>The force of the blow spent, Berserker wasted no time pushing back, her position allowing her to utilize maximum force as she pushed with her legs, the glutes and thighs churning out strength as she ‘stood up’ against the wall, electricity crackling furiously as it joined the humming blade, sparking on the invisible blade. </p><p>Saber kept her calm, her emotions shuffled to one side as she acted as the blade her Master needed her to be, disengaging from the one blow and attacking from another angle. </p><p>From Shirou’s perspective, it looked like a wall of red laser lines appeared, superimposed over Saber’s figure. Saber passed through the lines, and her armor was sliced in various places, blood splattering on the floors and walls in all directions. </p><p>“Saber!”</p><p>Berserker had simply moved so fast that her lightsaber had left after images, the crimson energy weaving through the air like a needle knitting thread, a wall of cuts that slashed and dashed at Saber’s armor. In spite of her instincts, she was unable to completely avoid all of them, resulting in her injuries. </p><p>Bursting backwards, she placed some distance between her and Berserker, Berserker resuming her former position as if nothing had happened, while Caster looked on in concern behind them, her spears already retracted and reformed next to her after they had been fired.    	</p><p>Gritting his teeth, he could only curse his own powerlessness. What could he do here, against an opponent that could easily harm Saber, who had effortlessly beat him up for four hours straight without suffering a single counter? </p><p>Besides him, Kuzuki noticed his frustration, and placed a hand on his shoulder. </p><p>“Calm down. A heated mind leads to reckless actions, which is something unnecessary in combat.”</p><p>Kuzuki’s words reminded him of where he was, and his clouded thoughts simmered down as he decided to put his trust in his Servants. Even Kuzuki, who had previously fought with Berserker before and managed to hold his own, wasn’t doing anything here, owing to the fact that he was more likely to get in the way than do any good. </p><p>“Caster, some assistance please.”</p><p>Just with that one short exchange, Saber understood that they needed to fight seriously if they were going to get past Berserker and question Assassin and their relationship with Avenger, who was still out cold behind them. </p><p>Caster nodded, and the staff lit up even more brightly, the mana of the distant tower shuddering as it’s vessel thrummed with channelled power.</p>
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<a name="section0125"><h2>125. Chapter 123</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 123</p><p>Every catalyst had a connection to something, sometimes serving as a symbol for a vessel of power that allowed the mage using it to tap into the great stores of energy outside of their own and harness it, granting them the ability to wield magic leagues above what they were capable of by themselves. In some cases, they could also be used as a focus, a magnifying glass that bent the light onto one spot, letting mana flow into a single spell in a controlled manner instead of running rampant chaotically. </p><p>Caster Artoria's staff however, did neither. Caster was born in an age where Mystery and Magic had yet to fade, a peculiar twist of fate allowing the dragon to remain in Britain, unlike the many other Artorias who came existed in a world without dragons, where they themselves were on of the few with the factor of the dragon. Instead, Caster had the natural environment to cast magecraft, which partly contributed to her Territory Creation skill that simulated the mana-rich environment she was native to, so her dragon factor was non-existent. In her own timeline, there were others who had even more accomplished magecraft than her, yet she was still the one chosen to be king. </p><p>As a focus, it could be said that the staff did somewhat fit the description, yet it’s purpose wasn’t to let Caster perform any one spell. Rather, it was a key, unlocking the doors to a great library of magecraft that crystallized into the form of her own personal magecraft, founded on something that did not exist in Solomon’s foundation when he single-handedly created modern magecraft. While mages could alter or refine his teachings and create their own unique styles and forms, One’s Own Magic was separate from that. Or to be more precise, she didn’t have the luxury to use a pre-existing foundation as her base.</p><p>The closest magi to emulate this would actually be Flat, and the principle behind their magecraft was similar. However, while Flat created and forgot spells all the time, Caster was able to retain her spells, but she couldn’t really create any more beyond a set amount, otherwise she would be unable to properly cast them all due to the limitations of memory and intelligence. Casting a spell required comprehension, skill and ability, and at the end of the day if you didn’t remember how to cast a spell, you couldn’t just brute force mana and hope it turned out like you hoped. </p><p>This was the main reason why magi such as Helena Bathory, or people such as Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, were seen as amazing. They could readily access the base of all magecraft at will and perform great feats, like owning a Magic Crest that contained the knowledge of all magecraft in the world. It was something of a cheat code that they didn’t need to learn and study for years before they were able to perform advanced magecraft of a particular branch, instead being able to do so on a whim. They could even combine different aspects, such as using curse magecraft and necromancy together, without ever reading a book about either subject. They would simply have to access the foundation they possessed, obtain a complete understanding of them, and then execute the spell. </p><p>In comparison, Kairi Sisigou could do the same, but only after years of studying and experimentation on battlefield after battlefield, and even then the results weren’t always what he wanted them to be. Still, he would have the edge on imagining potential innovations and mutations on his own magecraft, since someone who had never studied necromancy before, and someone who had spent their life immersed in it, had a large gap in understanding what it was capable of. Only a true genius would be able to read a cookbook, completely understand and perform the recipes perfectly instantly, then add their own variation on top of that and create their own unique dishes that deviated far from the original, dishes that would prove to be far better than the original recipes.</p><p>This meant that right now, Caster had no limitations that shackled the mages relying on the modern foundation of thaumaturgy. Instead, she was free to create her own, and the opportunities were endless. </p><p>In the end though, she was something of a meathead, and her magecraft became a direct offensive type, with a sprinkling of other basics that her master had taught her, such as illusion magecraft and Bounded Fields. That wasn’t to say it wasn’t powerful, but her support skills actually lied more in her innate talents rather than her magecraft. </p><p>Pretty much, the only things she could do was impart her blessings on the Saber. But as Berserker was about to find out, that was more than enough. </p><p>Is the person fighting at my side?</p><p>Yes.</p><p>Is she walking on the path that my fate follows?</p><p>Yes.</p><p>Does she fight for humanity?</p><p>Yes.</p><p>With those three conditions fulfilled, the blessings Vivian laid on Caster spread to her allies, the staff in the stone Caliburn weaving an enchantment of silent power that gathered the strength of the Once and Future King, instilling spirit into those that stood by her side against the many that would stand against humanity and her kingdom. Where she stood, her kingdom would follow. No matter who she fought, there would always be allies with her, whether they were standing next to her physically or struggling with her elsewhere. </p><p>A golden light enveloped Saber, a gentle breeze ruffling her golden hair. Wounds that stung and bit at her resolve faded away on a gentle breeze, the cool caress of soothing comfort lingering on her nape for a brief moment, before she felt it give way to strength that flooded into her body. In that instant, her body felt lighter than it had ever been, her heart surging with hope, though she knew not why. It seemed like her blade felt just that much sharper, the armor lighter, and yet tougher as well.</p><p>To Berserker as well, she could feel a shift in Saber. It wasn’t simply her morale, but something else well, but her appearance didn’t change dramatically after the shower of golden light. All she could say was that she instinctively wanted to shrink backwards, yet there was nothing she could see to suggest her doing so. </p><p>When Saber opened her eyes, they were clear, like the pools of water that reflected the moon at night.</p><p>A whisper of wind.</p><p>A blur of steel and azure silk.</p><p>That was all the warning Berserker received, before she blocked the first blow in a sequence of strikes that smoothly flowed into each other, with no gaps or opening to exploit. Well there were actually some that Berserker could spot, but she was being pressured too hard to exploit them. Saber’s strength seemed to have increased threefold, her movements sharp and filled with purpose as she seemed to have abandoned fear, advancing on Berserker with such spirit that Berserker was flustered for a moment, parrying the rapid blows that packed almost as much punch as her first one against Berserker earlier.</p>
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<a name="section0126"><h2>126. Chapter 124</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 124</p><p>Saber’s energetic advance was halted as Berserker regained control, adjusting to Saber’s newfound strength and speed as she shifted her style. Instead of trying to match her in terms of speed, which Saber was negating due to her bold fighting style that left more openings in exchange for landing sure strikes on Berserker, Berserker instead focused her strength, deactivating her other blade in favor of having a single blade in her hands, instead of a saberstaff that could produce multiple slashes just by spinning it, but in exchange sacrificing power for speed. </p><p>Without a second blade, Berserker shifted into more orthodox fighting moves, each clash between their blades turning into a contest of strength between the two. Berserker and Saber’s arms shook as their strength reached each other, the invisible sword pushing against red plasma, vying for dominance in their struggle. With the sword cloaked by the layers of wind wrapped around Excalibur, refracting the light and masking it’s appearance as well as size, Berserker was forced to overcompensate, stepping back often to avoid it’s perceived length as well as to offset the force in Saber’s strikes. Furthermore, it also granted her a better stance and position with which to direct her strength against Saber’s sword, but slowly, step by step, she was forced backwards like this, her back getting closer and closer to Assassin. </p><p>The ground cratered with every step they took, grey dust flying from the walls as they swung their weapons at each other, occasionally slicing through the concrete like butter when the tip of their weapons scraped past. Behind them, Shirou tried to decipher their movements, but it was useless. Even when they were slowing down their movements in favour of clashing with as much strength behind their blows as possible, he could still only see the moment where the two blades met, and then they would split apart, before their bodies would magically shift in position like a video skipping forward, courtesy of their speed, and they would clash once more, both sides trying to defeat their opponent with all their might.</p><p>Early on, when Saber had shot forward, Berserker had actually managed to score one or two hits when she had recklessly thrown herself forward, or so she thought. However, she was almost bisected at the waist when her slashes failed to penetrate, the armor becoming incredibly hard to penetrate as her lightsaber felt like it was moving through thick sludge to cut through, an invisible barrier protecting Saber like an extra layer of armor. As a result, Saber was able to make much more dangerous moves, sacrificing her blessings from Caster to exploit Berserker’s weak defense when she attacked. If Berserker hadn’t focused her psychokinesis and pushed herself, along with stepping forward instead of backwards while shifting her other side of the saberstaff to push the blade off-course, she would have been lying on the ground in a puddle of blood, her body fading away while her spirit returned to the Throne. </p><p>As it was, she now had to be wary of the extra layer of defense, and Saber’s enhanced reflexes and strength were also factors that further solidified her seeming invincibility, her strong attacks threatening to deal great damage to her while she trusted her armor and blessings to deflect half-hearted strikes or shallow blows. Berserker had to land a solid blow on her to truly harm Saber, even with her anti-Saber factor, but Saber was reading her movements and blocking them before they could land, the wind-up to her blows too long. </p><p>So Berserker had to circumvent that. </p><p>Slashing from the bottom left to the top right, she put a bit more force in the strike, the blow smashing into Excalibur as the red plasma trembled against it, before breaking free like before, Berserker’s lightsaber flying upwards as her whole body turned like a baseball batter when they finished their swing. With her blade stuck in an awkward position above, her entire body from her neck downwards was defenseless, her arms unable to move in time to protect them. Seeing her chance, Saber leaned in and brought her blade around in a swift slash to spill Berserker’s guts. </p><p>Only for her heart to seize with trepidation, her mind descending into a state of hyperactivity. In slow motion, she saw a glimpse of what could come, a red flash shooting towards her head, a hazy mirage of a solid red energy bar passing through her head. The premonition lasted for less than a second, but it gave her all the information she needed. Leaning lower and shifting all her weight onto the leg she was stepping forward with, her charge angled to the left as she dodged the other end of the saberstaff that had shot out of the saberstaff when Berserker thumbed the activation switch. Luring in Saber, she had almost forgotten about the existence of the opposite blade, much like how Lancer had baited Saber before by fighting her first with only Gae Daerg. </p><p>Unfortunately, such a gambit could only be used once before the opponent became aware of its existence, and Saber was going to be on guard after this. But that wasn’t all there was to Berserker’s moves. Doing the last thing Saber expected her to do, she dropped her weapon and disarmed herself.</p><p>Sidestepping the piercing blow Saber converted the slash into, Berserker released her saberstaff, deactivating both blades and letting it fall to the ground as it dematerialized, her arms shooting out like whips to grab Saber’s arms. Her position at the sides advantageous for this instead of grabbing them from the front, with the arm stretched out with a larger surface area to target, and she easily caught them in her gauntlets. </p><p>Before Saber had a chance to shake loose her grip, Berserker summoned up her mana and pumped the Servant of the sword with a heavy serving of crimson electricity, tens of thousands of volts surging straight through the Servant. Sparks flew off the metal gauntlets and breast plate, the current working its way through her entire body as her hair stood on end, standing up stiffly, her ahoge especially prominent. Patches of skin charred and turned black from the coils of red energy darting back and forth between her entire body, spit flying from her mouth and tears leaking out of her eyes as her body reflexively reacted to the numb suffering of lightning running through her body to electrocute her, a strange sensation unlike other types of pain. A soundless scream was all she could make as her mouth opened wide, her neck arched back to let her face gaze at the ceiling. </p><p>Within seconds, Berserker spent the charge she had stocked up, releasing Saber as she slowly staggered backwards, her grip on her sword loosening as she swayed from side to side. Her shoulders and legs twitched, before she tripped over herself and collapsed on the ground, various muscles flexing and stretching from the leftover currents, nerves misfiring in her body. Her gaze was blank even as her eyes remained wide open, froth gathering at the edges of her mouth. The stink of ozone and burnt flesh drifted over to Caster, Kuzuki and Shirou, the latter gaping his mouth as he stared at the pitiful condition of his own Servant.</p>
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<a name="section0127"><h2>127. Cahpter 125.5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 125.5</p><p>A New Year</p><p>“Do you do anything to celebrate the new year in your own universe?”</p><p>Illya’s words slipped out of her mouth as she snuggled in the imported kotatsu, her cheeks squished against the wooden surface of the low table. It was the end of December, and they were about to head to Fuyuki to set up their base and do some reconnaissance in person. </p><p>Though she had never celebrated New Year, even with her parents around, she still knew that it was something that people did, though she was really only familiar with German and Japanese New Year traditions. Staring at Berserker, she couldn't help but wonder if her eclectic Servant had ever done something similar, or if her universe even had an equivalent. Her curiosity got the better of her, and the question slipper out of her mouth naturally. </p><p>Berserker paused in her chewing of daifuku, the red bean paste sliding down her throat as the potato starch covering the outside layer of mochi turned her lips white.</p><p>“Nomnomnom...New Year’s? According to the time system we use in the Servant-verse, time is kept relative to a standardized calendar based on the Solar System rotational constant, which is adopted on all space-going craft. However, the seasons and calendars for individual planets and systems vary on a case-by-case basis.”</p><p>Tilting her head, she drew on the basic information that she was taught at the C.C.A. (Cosmo Chaldea Academy) and her time in the Dark Round, racking her brain for any sliver of information that was relevant.</p><p>“Well, for some reason it seems like there are only minor variations in most of the calendars when compared to the Solar System one, with the largest gap being one month and a week longer. The only places where this doesn’t apply is in areas where Ether is disrupted or gravitational anomalies occur, such as the Abyss Sargasso.”</p><p>Though she had cleanly forgotten a lot of stuff, some random tidbits and facts still stuck in her head for no reason. Maybe it was because of the random trivia quiz challenge the Academy held before. Or the inter-galactic team competition that MHX had ‘convinced’ (forced) her into joining, which included a healthy dose of trivia quizzing as well.</p><p>Noticing Berserker drift off in thought, Illya flicked her forehead with her birdlike Mystic Code, the translucent beak pecking her pale forehead just above the glasses. </p><p>It barely registered as a tickle for Berserker, but it was enough to bring her back.</p><p>“Ah, sorry Illya. As I was saying, we do have a calendar system like yours, and some people in the Servant-verse do indeed celebrate the New Year in their own way.” </p><p>Well, she didn’t really care about that though. She just ate sweets like usual, lazing around in the Dark kotatsu and sleeping the day away until somebody dragged her out of the room, usually Master A (Agravain), then later on MHX.</p><p>Illya could already guess that just by looking at her everyday. If she wasn’t in the kotatsu, she was in the large baths enjoying the warmth of the enchanted waters. It could almost be said that she was freeloading, if she hadn’t done what she had when Jubstacheit had thrown her out with Illya during their training campaign to winter hell in the Einzbern forest. That and the fact that she did listen to Illya whenever she wanted to do something, proving surprisingly diligent when working with Illya.</p><p>Not doing anything special for the New Year was fine. It wasn’t like there was a tradition in the Einzbern family or anything…</p><p>But it would still be nice. Especially since it would likely be her last year, and she had someone to celebrate it with besides her maids, who likely had no idea about the concept of celebrating the passing of a year and the coming of a new one. </p><p>“Say Berserker, do you know what they do to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Japan?”</p><p>Shirou, Taiga and Sakura all sat in the kotatsu, basking in it’s warmth to ward off the chilly winter air, even with how well insulated the Emiya residence was. A pile of mikan, or tangerine, peels lay on the table, the culprit currently in the process of peeling another as she casually popped it whole in her mouth after extracting the juicy fruit meat from the skin. </p><p>“Fuji-nee, you’re going to finish the whole bowl before midnight at this rate.”</p><p>Shirou tried to slow her down, but Taiga simply pretended to be deaf, continuing to burn through the fruit at an impressive rate. Sighing, Shirou decided he’d have to take more tangerines from the kitchen later to replace them. </p><p>“Fujimura-sensei, you’ll get bloated if you eat too much.”</p><p>Sakura’s innocently sweet tone with an equally sweet smile bore down on Taiga, or at least that was what it felt like to her. An invisible pressure appeared on Taiga’s back, and she slowly put down the tangerine into the wooden bowl.</p><p>“Urk! I-I guess you’re right, staying in shape might be for the best after all…”</p><p>There was no way she wanted to get fat, she was the world-class beauty Taiga Fujimaru after all! Well, at least she wanted to be one. Also, Sakura was getting a bit scary.</p><p>Switching her focus to the television, she switched channels until the New Years special program was on, the NHK singing competition. </p><p>“Kimi to natsu no owari shourai no yume,<br/>  Ookina kibou wasurenai-”</p><p>“Eehhh, it’s not a hot guy. I was hoping to see the white team for this year. Hey, I heard SMAP got invited this year too you know! Wonder when they’ll show up.”</p><p>Taiga stared at the screen, slightly disappointed as she leaned on the table to rest her head on her arms while watching the show. </p><p>“They sing rather well though don’t they? This band, I think their name was...Zone?”</p><p>Sakura didn’t listen to music often, but she’d heard this song before while walking in the shopping district, and she’d seen the band in magazines before placed outside stores and the like. </p><p>For Shirou who barely listened to any, he was unfortunately unable to join in the conversation, though to a complete amateur like him, all the participants singing sounded great. </p><p>“Say, wouldn’t it be great if Sakura turned out to be a talented singer and got on TV like that? We’d be able to watch you perform there, and it’d be amazing to see someone we know reach the national stage.”</p><p>Taiga’s random offhand comment made Sakura imagine her singing on the stage, just like those women on the screen right now, and her senpai below, watching her and cheering her on. Her heart fluttered slightly at such a scene, imagined though it was. </p><p>“I guess...it wouldn’t be too bad.”</p><p>She smiled at Shirou, who caught it at the edge of his vision, and he smiled back in return, if a bit puzzled at why she suddenly did so. </p><p>If only, she was born in another world where she didn’t have to become a magus, where she was free to be whatever she wanted to be, free to be with senpai whenever she wanted to...a singer, a dancer, an artist, a cook, a lawyer, it didn’t matter. </p><p>Her heart yearned for the New Year to bring a fresh start to her life, even though her cynical mind knew that nothing would change. </p><p>Slurping on the soba contentedly, Rin was glad she had accepted Ayako’s invitation. The warm kotatsu, fried tempura toshikoshi soba, comfy cushions and well, friends, though she’d never say that out loud, were all leagues better than anything she’d have at her own home to accompany her for New Year’s Eve. <br/>Originally, she had simply planned to study her magecraft and make some headway into further crafting other Mystic Codes, eating something fancier like steak for dinner, and then going to sleep early or something to enjoy the New Year. In retrospect, it felt kind of lame to simply end the year like that, but it wasn’t like she really cared either way. She was the only one living in the house after all, and there was no way she was inviting the priest over. </p><p>So when Ayako called her, she was quite surprised at her invitation to pass New Year’s Eve with her. Though they were friends, she was somewhat surprised that Ayako had reached out to her specifically, when she had so many other friends, unlike Rin who maintained many acquaintances, but had few people she actually hung out with. There was the track trio, Ayako and...yeah that was it. The number could be counted on one hand.</p><p>For Ayako though, she knew that Rin was unlikely to have anything special planned for the evening. She basically lived by herself, with her legal guardian frequently away, or at least that was what Rin told her. Though their friendship may not have been for long, the two had clicked just right when they met each other. In the end, they might not have seemed close on the surface, but in their hearts they treasured each other. For Rin who had little in the way of real friends or family, Ayako was someone she genuinely wouldn’t want to lose. For Ayako, Rin was a good friend she was glad to have. </p><p>Ayako stared at Rin sucking on the noodles, smiling all the while.</p><p>“Is it good?”</p><p>Rin slurped up the last few strands of soba and nodded.</p><p>“It’s pretty good! Which means you definitely didn’t make it.”</p><p>The lighthearted jab only elicited a laugh from Ayako. </p><p>“Of course I didn’t! Do you think my parents would let me do the whole thing by myself, knowing my skills? Although I did help fry the tempura.”</p><p>“Oh? I suppose the tempura wasn’t bad, when paired with the soba that is.”</p><p>It was the closest she was going to get to a praise, but Ayako could tell after being around Rin for a while and just extracted the intent from her words.</p><p>“Thanks. I also did the decorations too! Cut down the bamboo, tied it together and placed it there myself. I was kind of surprised when otou-san (dad) let me do it this year, but I guess the lazy bum just wanted one less thing to do after cleaning the house from top to bottom. He rarely cleans at all.”</p><p>“Oi, don’t diss your dad like that!”</p><p>Her mom from the room over yelled at her, her voice clear and ringing. It was clear where Ayako had inherited her brash and direct personality from. </p><p>Ayako just rolled her eyes at her mother’s warning.</p><p>“She does it all the time herself. A few words from me is nothing compared to what she says.”</p><p>Rin stifled a grin, then reached into her pockets and passed a paper packet to Ayako.</p><p>“Is this…?”</p><p>Opening the packet, her eyes widened when she saw what was inside.</p><p>“WHA-, Rin! Is your guardian sane, giving me this much?”</p><p>The otoshidama, a gift of money given during the New Year, was given to children up to highschool. In most cases, the amount of money given to high school students was the most, and the amount given to preschool or younger the least. In the envelope containing the money however, Ayako could tell the cash exceeded the average amount by a fair bit. </p><p>For some reason though, Rin was smiling, the mouth curved wider than usual. It could even be described as smug. </p><p>“I can’t possibly accept this-”</p><p>“No, you’ll be doing me and my guardian a favour by accepting it. I’m sure he’ll be extremely happy that you’ve received such a great gift. It’s for you to learn the value of money as well.”</p><p>Rin was practically beaming at this point, and Ayako was completely confused at this point at her reaction, but seeing her adamant refusal to take back the otoshidama, she had no choice but to accept it. </p><p>In fact, the cash was secretly ‘borrowed’ from Kirei, and while it wasn’t an amount that would seriously affect him or anything, it was still something that Rin felt happy about, petty as it may be. By now, Kirei had probably noticed the missing cash, but there was nothing he could do about it. He wouldn’t even figure out it was her, though his instincts might point in her direction. She had briefly considered keeping the money for herself, but she decided to give it to Ayako after getting called by her. It was only right for priests to perform charity after all, wasn’t it? It would also be safer for her to make it seem like she didn’t have extra cash to spend. Though the priest didn’t watch her 24/7, there was no telling when he was around. Sometimes, he had an eerily accurate grasp of her movements and actions. </p><p>It was a great start to the New Year for Rin, and for Ayako too, as they continued chatting away in the kotatsu, the Mitsuzuri family joining in as well.</p><p>The priest in question was eating mapo tofu at the chapel with Gilgamesh, the king looking in disgust at the red sea with floating islands of white tofu, minced meat and spring onions dotting the spicy sauce. </p><p>“I will never understand what you see in that food, mongrel.”</p><p>“It is not what I see, but what I experience, Your Majesty.”</p><p>The king shook his head. </p><p>“I suppose the only food that would elicit any reaction in you would be the most extreme dishes. Pain that stimulates the tongue could be said to be one of the most intense of tastes in all cuisines.”</p><p>Swirling the wine in his golden cup, he drank deeply from it, measuring each sip with his tongue as he savoured the fruity aroma and the well aged liquid, a smooth taste neither too sour nor too sweet, with a hint of tartness to it. </p><p>Kirei paused in his eating, addressing Gilgamesh.</p><p>“I’ve also been meaning to ask you. What have you been doing at the arcade all this time?”</p><p>“Hah! I have found some worthy challengers to pass my time there, that is all. Though the modern world may have many defects, their capacity for entertainment has certainly grown, and along with it, many avenues of pleasure are to be found.”</p><p>Kirei stared at the king for a moment longer, then shrugged, and continued eating his dish of flaming spiciness. </p><p>*dong-dong*</p><p>The bell rang at the shrine, the monk tolling it as the others chanted at the sides. 108 strikes against the bell, for 108 desires of mankind. </p><p>The next morning, Kuzuki stood at the shrine, threw a coin into the offertory box, arms held at his sides as he bowed in front of the box once, twice, then clapped his hands twice. </p><p>There was a moment of silence when he put his hands together and prayed, the temple silent in the wee hours of the morning. </p><p>What was there to pray for?</p><p>His mind searched for answers, and though he was once empty, the image of the school he taught at popped up.</p><p>Deciding on his wish, he finished and opened his eyes again, bowing one more time. </p><p>He wasn’t a religious man, but leaving at the temple had made him pick up a few traditions which he saw no harm in performing. He had been taught to blend in with the environment as an assassin, and though he no longer was one, the desire to blend in remained there all the same. </p><p>With that, he walked out of the shrine, wondering if it was cheating if he was able to skip the long lines that other people would have to experience to get into the shrine by virtue of living on the spot. In particular, Ryuudou Temple was one of the few shrines around the area, and it wasn’t strange for throngs of people to flood it from the bottom of the stairs to the very top during hatsumode, the first visit of the shrine during New Years day.</p><p>“Good morning. You’re up early Issei-kun.”</p><p>The Student President of Homuhara was indeed awake rather early, considering how late it had been when he had finished doing the 108 rings last night with the rest of the monks as per tradition. </p><p>“Good morning to you too Souichirou-sensei. I simply wish to visit the shrine before it becomes packed.”</p><p>His eyes held no trace of sleepiness, and though he wasn’t clad in thick garments, he barely shivered in the early morning air. Inwardly, Kuzuki nodded with approval at his physical training. </p><p>“I see. I will not delay you further then. Happy New Year to you.”</p><p>Already, there were people trickling into Ryuudou Temple, despite how ungodly early it was. It was simply that popular of an activity, and a strong tradition as well. </p><p>“Happy New Year sensei.”</p><p>Kaede blearily opened her eyes when she felt someone shaking her shoulders, a voice echoing from far away into her consciousness. </p><p>“Uuuuuhhh, lemme shlep for a lil longerrrrr…”</p><p>Kaede flipped around and shook off the hand shaking her, burrowing into the blankets once more. </p><p>“There is no escape.”</p><p>“Hiyah!!!”</p><p>She almost slammed her head on the wall as she jumped out of bed, scooting away as Kane closed in on her with a bag of ice in her hands. </p><p>“St-stay away from me! I’m already awake, alright?”</p><p>Yukika tugged at the sleeves of the girl wearing glasses, nervously glancing at the bag of ice in her hands.</p><p>“Um, I think she’s already out of the bed, so it’s fine to stop now, isn’t it?”</p><p>Kane closed her eyes, then nodded. </p><p>“I suppose so. I will return the bag of ice to the fridge. Make sure she gets dressed.”</p><p>She walked towards the door, carrying the ice with her. Seeing her do so, Kaede closed her eyes and breathed out a sigh of relief.</p><p>“Kya!”</p><p>The sudden sensation of ice-cold cubes against her cheek knocked her over, sending her scrambling away on her knees as she crawled away from the menacing threat.</p><p>“Oi, what was that for? You wanna go at it, hah?”</p><p>Kaede clutched her cheek as she stared resentfully at Kane.</p><p>“If you head back in bed, much worse will happen to you.”</p><p>A shiver went down Kaede’s spine, but she could only comply. </p><p>Less than an hour later, the three of them were in a car, heading to a spot where they could see the first sunrise of the year. </p><p>The car cruised to a stop near the sea, the beaches already dotted with groups of people, all waiting to catch dazzling sun as it rose into the sky. It was a clear sky, with few clouds dotting the night sky, and the sky was already starting to pale as the moon faded away while the sky lightened. </p><p>“Here we are kids.” </p><p>The three jumped out of the car as they went to pick a good spot, while Kaede’s dad went to park the car. They hadn’t been able to see the sunrise very clearly last year owing to the bad weather, but this year, the conditions seemed to be near perfect. Although a brisk wind bit at their faces, they were filled with anticipation for the event, white fog escaping their mouths as they rubbed their gloved hands together for warmth. </p><p>Slowly, the deep turquoise sky shifted to a light azure, then tints of soft orange appeared on the white clouds, the edge of the horizon experiencing a gradual shift in gradient from blue to white and orange. The clouds that had formerly been black strips against the sky brushed with orange from the sun's rays, one side of them turning colorful, then the color spread, yellow and white mixing with the orange as the sun came ever closer to the edge of the horizon. The moving clouds became an ever shifting palette of colors, purple and orange outlining each other as they mixed and swam within each other on the edges of the clouds and along the spot where the sun would rise, the colors getting more and more muted the further away the clouds and sky were.</p><p>Slowly, the first hint of white breached the horizon line, where the sea met the sky. Some people cried out, with children waving their arms in excitement, while others remained quiet, appreciating the moment that was an everyday occurrence, yet held special meaning for this one day of the entire year. Amaterasu, the sun goddess, was the creator of Japan, at least in the legends. Luck descended on those who saw the first sunrise when the god of luck came along with the sunrise, granting a boon to those willing to get up just to see it, or so people believed. </p><p>In truth, seeing such a sight with friends and family was enough for anyone. Luck was welcome, but simply a bonus. </p><p>The borders brightened momentarily, and then the ball of light peeked out from beneath the sea, a warm orange surrounding it as the rest of the sky assumed it’s usual color in daylight, a sky blue. Like an old cat lazily stretching and waking up from it’s nap, the sun slowly but steadily climbed up the sky, lighting up the land and sea for the very first time that year. </p><p>It felt like a year had passed, but in reality was only minutes, as the sun finally appeared in it’s full glory, an orb of pure white that couldn’t be looked at with the naked eyes, radiance spilling off it and turning the sky around it orange. Teh rays of warmth hit the three on the cheeks as they stood there in the cold winter air, granting them some much needed succour from the cold. </p><p>*guruguru*</p><p>The two of them stared at Kaede, whose cheeks reddened as she looked away.</p><p>“I’m hungry, ok?”</p><p>Then another stomach grumbled.</p><p>“I think I’m hungry too.”</p><p>Yukika laced her hands behind her back and looked down, suddenly finding the sand at her feet very interesting.</p><p>“Let’s go for breakfast.”</p><p>Kane’s words were met with great relief, and they headed off for their first meal of the day and the year.</p>
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<a name="section0128"><h2>128. Chapter 126</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 126</p><p>Assassin watched as Berserker took out Saber in a daring gambit, then proceeded to take out Caster so quickly it could barely be called a fight. Though Assassin was supposed to be the one who had a universal advantage in this war, Berserker was plenty strong enough to hold her own against any other Servant in the war, and she knew it well. After all, she had clashed with her friend on numerous occasions. </p><p>Still, she couldn’t help but feel something was off as well after Caster fell just from sudden attack. While she hadn’t seen Caster fight during their battle on the steps of Ryuudou Temple, what with her being busy sealing the Rhongomyniad that Gray wielded which was running amok, she was still quite sure she at least wouldn’t go down in one hit like that. Keeping her eyes peeled, she looked around, wondering if there was something she or Berserker missed.</p><p>Abruptly, she felt a prickling sensation running down her back, like a series of static electricity rubbing against her skin, except slightly more painful. </p><p>Whipping around, Assassin swung her sword downwards, the ground rippling with a watery mossy green circle under her feet. Her blade met a brilliant cerulean bolt of light, physical substance grinding against her blade as it was deviated from its course towards Assassin’s body towards the ceiling. </p><p>It was merely the first of six, as the rest of the projectiles rose out of the newly textured ground, a portal of sorts, flinging themselves out at lightning speed that even a Servant would be hard-pressed to match. Without a chance to properly react, Assassin was speared and slashed, her body nailed to the ceiling as she only successfully parried the first one and dodged the second. The rest lifted her up onto the ceiling with their sheer velocity despite their lack of mass, and they pinned her in place, all of them in non-fatal areas, though they still hurt like hell. </p><p>Assassin’s face contorted in pain as the blood started flowing down the spears keeping her in place, the crimson liquid hugging the crystalline surface of the weapons and sliding past the ridges and contours until it reached the razor sharp point, then fell onto the ground. </p><p>Berserker slashed Caster’s head clean off the moment it happened, the lightsaber passing cleanly through her neck, but the moment she felt it go through like air, the illusion broke. No longer was Caster in front of her, with all that was there being a bunch of severed flower stems to provide texture when she slashed Caster’s arms and disarmed her. </p><p>Berserker maintained her calm turning to face Assassin's side of the hallway as she estimated where Caster was right now. Caster was currently hidden from her sight, using some sort of spell to cloak herself, but she was sure that Caster was somewhere around Assassin and Gray. It was after all, much easier to win when you had meatshields that the enemy couldn’t attack. </p><p>Of course, Caster wouldn’t use such methods, but she was sure that Berserker would at least come over to protect the two once she directly attacked them, and was banking on that to lure her over. </p><p>Slowly, Berserker advanced towards the two, wary of any sudden attacks from the hidden Caster. So far, there were no further actions after she pinned Assassin to the wall, but there was always the possibility something would happen to make her move. </p><p>Assassin groaned on the ceiling, having dematerialized her sword as she braced her body to free herself. There was one spear stuck in her shoulder, one running through her shin and going out the back of her calf, a third one cutting past her waist to pin her jacket to the wall and a final one somehow accurate enough to nail her hand to the ceiling. </p><p>Her right hand was free, but considering how deeply the spears were embedded into her body, there was no way to pull them free. It was probably easiest to simply dematerialize at this point instead of physically getting them out. Turning her head to look at Berserker, she winked at her long time partner and friend. </p><p>Caster, waiting for Berserker to step into the zone she had laid out, didn’t notice Assassin’s signal, so she was unprepared for Berserker’s sudden burst of speed as she exploded into action, her legs cracking the ground to send her whole body rocketing forward like a human missile. Panicking, she stabbed her staff into the floor, pumping mana as a blue line zig zagged across the floor from her staff to the various capsules of mana embedded in the floor, using just enough of her illusion magecraft to hide them from sight. When the last capsule finally connected with the fiery azure line, the capsules exploded. A spectacular display of sapphire energy lit up the hallways like detonating fireworks, covering Berserker and hiding her from sight. </p><p>For a moment, Caster dared to hope that her plan had succeeded, the preplaced mines taking out Berserker as intended. </p><p>Then a black blur burst through the end of the tunnel filled with blue mana from the explosions, the mana dissipating in its wake as Berserker corkscrewed through the air, her lightsaber as the tip while her entire body crackled with electricity, her own mana coating her body to ward off the explosions. She didn’t stop flying until she collided with Caster, who had raised her staff to defend herself against the bullet of a Servant that had flown out too fast for her to react in any other way. </p><p>Caster was sent flying back, past the slumped Gray, still unconscious, and landed on her back on the hard concrete floor. The dagger of shrouding secrecy, Carnwennan, broke with a spectacular crack on the back of her belt, and the world morphed from the blurry, dull hues of grey and white that Caster saw while cloaked into the regular colorful scenery she was used to, though there was still plenty of grey on the walls, floor and ceiling. At this point, she finally noticed that Assassin had dematerialized, escaping her trap and allowing Berserker to aim straight for Caster. </p><p>Assassin had guessed that Caster had probably set up some kind of trap if she was still remaining hidden, so she decided to remove herself from the equation and let Berserker know that she could dash forward to save Gray once she dematerialized. Of course, there was no way a wink could convey all of this, but Berserker could roughly tell what she was thinking, after being together for so long. It was something along the lines of “I’m beat, so I’m leaving everything to you now!”. Despite being enemies, they still trusted each other deeply. </p><p>Berserker instantly raced to meet Caster once she appeared, dashing past Grey without a pause. After seeing Caster use Assassin as the lure and not doing anything to Gray, she could guess that Caster probably wouldn’t do anything to Gray, so she didn’t have to secure the Master and escape. Defeating Caster now would be much more efficient, instead of being chased around by Caster who could have a myriad array of abilities to make it that much more difficult. Instead, judging by what she’d seen so far, it was definitely possible for Berserker to defeat Caster, though she hadn’t gotten out unscathed from the trap. </p><p>Her clothes were heavily singed, and she could feel burns all over her body, as well as the physical trauma from the explosions that had transmitted intense vibrations into her skin, flesh and bones, injuring her internal organs such as her heart, lungs and most importantly, her brain. Right now, she felt like there was a splitting headache going on, and her early use of psychokinesis against Saber earlier wasn’t helping. </p><p>Regardless, if Caster had no more tricks up her sleeve, she was going to be guaranteed to win. At this point, no matter what she did, she wouldn’t be able to escape fast enough. </p><p>“This is the star of omens…”</p><p>A stream of lightning escaped her fingertips, arcing towards Caster before Berserker arrived as a way to keep her preoccupied. However, instead of blocking, dodging or parrying it, Caster actually ran towards it with her fist facing the lightning, like she was punching it. Berserker’s eyes widened in disbelief, surprised that someone would actually punch it with their naked fists, not to mention someone more inclined to magecraft than the martial arts like Caster. Perhaps she had an ability that absorbed or blocked lightning?</p><p>But no, she could tell by the pain on Caster’s face that she was definitely feeling it. She was barely holding in her screams of pain as she was doing so, her eyes strangely reflective until Berserker realized it was because of unshed tears swimming in them, but even so she toughed it out and held on, her fist held out in front of her to take the lightning. As she advanced, Berserker felt mana gather around Caster, the levels of energy she was drawing on spiking.</p><p>A moment later, she found out why. </p><p>When she was barely a feet away from Caster, the fist opened, causing the red lightning from Berserker to connect with the mana capsules that the fist was hiding, the glossy surface a dull red now when compared with the usual blue ones that she had used earlier for the explosion. The moment the red lightning made contact with them, the mana capsules exploded into a veritable storm of lightning, just like Berserker’s own, but with more force concentrated into one massive storm of lightning encircling both Caster and Berserker. </p><p>Far down the hallway, Shirou and Kuzuki both saw the two enveloped in a cage of crackling energy, their bodies obscured by lines and lines of electricity. </p><p>This time, Caster did scream, and so did Berserker, though Berserker’s was noticeably less high pitched and loud than Caster’s. She naturally had a resistance to her own abilities, the lightning coursing through her amounting to a heavy beating, while for Caster it was like being stabbed with millions of needles all over her body, even with the blessings of Vivian and the staff Chastiefol protecting her body. At best, it mitigated the damage from becoming serious, but even so by the time the storm ended, she was sure to be heavily injured.</p><p>They both fell to the ground and collapsed after the storm ended, ending up in a similar state to Saber a short while earlier when she was defeated by Berserker herself. With difficulty, Berserker managed to suppress the pain and push herself back up, getting her spasming muscles back under control one by one as she forcefully twisted her uncooperative body to look at Caster.</p><p>Only to be shocked by the fact that was she already on her feet, with a huge sword pointed straight at her, the sword almost as tall as Caster, and wider than her waist, a thick, short blade attached to a long hilt that ended in a extravagant pommel that was actually wider than the blade itself. The pommel looked just like the tip of her staff, a fan of white stone now plated with gold, with a sapphire crystal locked in branches of azure mineral. The entire thing was glowing with energy, humming dangerously as it grew brighter and brighter. </p><p>“Fire, Marmyados-”</p>
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<a name="section0129"><h2>129. Chapter 127</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 127</p><p>The world lit up as the sword released the stored magical energy within, an expanding globe of golden light reaching out and consuming Berserker’s body. Berserker was captivated by the sight, her entire vision filled until all she could see was the golden mana rushing out of the sword, her body embraced by the flux of energy encroaching the hallways walls, ceiling and floor, eating away at the concrete as the mineral was vaporized. </p><p>In an age long past, a man by the name of Alcides became heralded as a great hero favoured by the gods, acquiring great renown as he racked up achievement after achievement, accomplishing deeds thought to be so difficult that no mortal could succeed at them, going where no man had gone before, slaying titanic beasts that went unchallenged for years. Eventually, he became recognized by the gods after numerous years of incredible feats, with one of the most famous being the Twelve Labours. His life was immortalized as story, passed down to generations and generations of humans until his legacy spread to every corner of the globe. He would come to be known by a different name, and it passed into grammatical use as well, the term “Herculean effort” coming to stand for an enormous amount of effort that was almost inhuman. </p><p>A great hero often used equally worthy weapons, and Hercules was no exception. He wielded tools of great make and origin, the Nemean Lion’s pelt, the sash of Hippolyta the Queen of the Amazons, the noble steeds the Mares of Diomedes and many more. In particular, he had several weapons that legend recorded him using, though in some renditions he might not have done so, while in others he used another one that didn’t appear in the other editions. The list included Harpe, the immortal slaying blade, the Hydra poison tip arrows and the olive wood club he famously used to bludgeon the Nemean lion before wrestling it. However, there was no questioning that his greatest weapons were his strength and wit in combat, the combination of instincts, skill, a tactical mind and purely ridiculous levels of immense strength gave him an edge in fighting that no weapon could provide him with. </p><p>Yet, in a few more obscure tellings of Hercules and his deeds, it was mentioned that the god of smithing, Hephaestus, or his Roman equivalent Vulcan, forged a sword without peer for Hercules, granting it to the mortal for use. Eventually, this sword was passed down to others after Hercules tragic death, going through the hands of many people, until it reached none other than King Rions, King Arthur’s enemy during his earlier years, also said to be a giant in some sources. After defeating this particular enemy, who asked for King Arthur’s beard as a decoration to complete his trophy of eleven kings' beards that he had killed for a complete number of twelve, Arthur had taken his sword, and supposedly loaned it to Gawain. </p><p>Of course, for Caster, who originated from a different timeline, Marmyadose was still considered to be one of her weapons, and indeed was one of the catalysts she favoured the most, a sword of great power that could always be relied on when she needed it’s raw power. It was also forged by a God of Fire in her case, and it’s power was the real deal, possessing divinity imbued into it’s very essence by the creator, granting it status and ability unrivalled by any other sword, at least of those created by human hands. Whenever Caster released her energy through it, mana funneled into the catalyst, the sword retracing to its origin from the flames as it heated up, until it briefly reached the temperature of the forge that birthed it, the surface glowing a molten white. This was followed by the release of said energy as a brilliant, blinding golden white that seared and consumed everything in its path, a cleansing of light that purged Caster’s enemies. There was no weapon more powerful than that blade in Caster’s arsenal in terms of brute force, carving holes into the very earth itself in an effort to vanquish those that stood in her way. </p><p>There was no time to think. </p><p>Berserker swallowed the paste in her mouth the moment she saw the blade starting to manifest, her throat chugging down the bitter slimy mixture mixed with her saliva, a nutty and sweet tastes hugging her tongue as her brain released a mixture of endorphins that told her, this was amazing. Before it even passed her throat, the Altreactor was already revving up, warming the engine to accept the latest offering to her stomach. The chestnut paste was instantly consumed, processed, and refined, Berserker’s eyes turning a shade of opal with a tinge of scarlet rimming the iris, her body shaking momentarily before it became as still as a statue. The veins popped on her forehead, neck, arms, hands, legs and everywhere, like a bodybuilder working out and flexing, before turning back to normal all of a sudden. </p><p>Lifting her head, she saw the energy blast heading towards her, coming in slow motion. If it hit her, she was certain to die, and leave this world, leaving her Master to fend for herself. If there was anything that spending time with Assassin taught her, it was that she would protect the things she valued. </p><p>Her enhanced senses and mind, now in the peak of her prime, her condition beyond anything she had shown earlier, observed, calculated and executed her best method of survival and victory. </p><p>Further away, Illya winced, her body swaying suddenly in the middle of talking to the magi from the Clock Tower. </p><p>“Miss Einzbern!”</p><p>Flat caught her, but she brushed off his hands, though she still offered a nod of appreciation. </p><p>“It’s nothing, just my Servant.”</p><p>Deep down, she wondered who it was she was fighting to make her go all-out like that. </p><p>Without announcing anything like she sometimes did, her body moved, performing the necessary movements to block everything. If her opponent was using a weapon of the gods, then all she had to do was surpass the divine.</p><p>A hundred, no, a thousand strikes, all in the blink of an eye. </p><p>Blackhole Infinity Strike (Instantaneous Shadowless Blade 2nd edition).</p>
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<a name="section0130"><h2>130. Chapter 128</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 128</p><p>Drawing from the mana gushing into her body, Berserker activated both blades of her saberstaff, the red blades spitting and hissing defiantly in the face of the golden wall that promised their demise. </p><p>To her eyes, even the lightsaber blades that extended from the hilt looked slow, crawling out of the emitter like a snail. She could feel the air currents brushing against her cheeks, the palpitations of her beating heart, the drawn out sound of her lightsaber humming to life. All her senses were hypersensitive, putting her in a state similar to what Kiritsugu experienced during his Time Alter magecraft, seeing everything slowed down relative to what she could process. </p><p>But that wasn’t all that was enhanced. </p><p>Her body felt like it was able to leap mountains and break glaciers, the blood thrumming through her veins as condensed Alterite was pumped into every single crevice of her body, courtesy of the Alternium crystals that made up the Altreactor. The (Infinity) Chestnut Paste’, composed from six fundamental forces of Desire (Soul), Sugar (Power), Sales Location (Space), Cost Price (Reality), Production (Time), and Demand (Mind), granted infinite power to the possessor, power that could destroy and remake a galaxy in the image of it’s wielder.</p><p>Or that was what she was told, but it was really more of a self-hypnosis technique like what magi performed, in this case for Berserker to release her maximum potential and fight at full strength, as it was usually sealed for safety purposes after some disastrous incidents and the amount of self-harm she unknowingly inflicted. </p><p>As for why it was chestnut paste, well that was because she liked the taste more than black bean paste, switching to it soon after arriving in Japan. </p><p>The world exploded into a storm of red and gold, two titanic forces clashing against each other without reserve, a scene that civilization no longer permitted to exist. </p><p>Berserker’s hands moved at an inhuman pace, the saberstaff swinging at speeds that rivalled the supersonic Concorde place. It was no longer visible as a single blade, the red melting into the air like gas until it was a dense shell of ruby light that formed a wall blocking the ever growing cone of gold shining from Marmyadose, the blast covering the entire hallway in a flood of mana. Caster’s mana may have been endless, but just as inexhaustible was Berserker’s movements, the mana surrounding the sword swelling to epic proportions as it approached what Illya had seen during her battle between her and Lancelot of the Dark Rounds in the Servant-verse during the dream cycle. </p><p>With every slash, the golden light held at bay, streaks of lightning crackling between each and every slash until it became a disk of vermillion lines, jagged and scarring the very air itself, burning furiously as it resisted the inexorable push of a divine weapon grinding down on them. </p><p>In reality, Berserker was really just spinning the saberstaff really fast, like the blades of a regular fan, only much faster, and pumping mana into the saberstaff so that it was capable of blocking the blast. </p><p>It was a simple strategy, but it worked. </p><p>A disc of scarlet expanded in front of Berserker and her saberstaff, the raw mana forming into a dense shield that protected her from the beam, with her taking care to shield Gray as well so she didn’t accidentally redirect the blast towards the unconscious magus. From Shirou’s perspective all the way behind them, it actually looked like a fan going really fast that kind of blurred together until the blades looked like one solid object, except this fan glowed, was red and had lightning crackling inside it. </p><p>Just as abruptly as it began, the blast abruptly ended, Marmyadose ceasing it’s attack as it’s glow slowly faded away til it returned to it’s normal form. The divine weapon floated to Caster’s side since it was also her staff, Chastiefol merging with it when she summoned the godlike weapon to her side. She had no idea why it did that, but she didn’t have the luxury to wonder why as she stared, dumbfounded at the massive wall of pulsing crimson energy that blocked the entire hallway, cutting into the floors, walls and ceiling itself as it extended beyond the dimensions of the hallway. Scarlet lightning danced across the surface of the mana shield, the edges of the floor, ceilings and walls cleanly cut with barely any deformations, the mana piercing through concrete and metal the same way it did in the air. </p><p>Gradually, the wall of mana receded, starting from the edges as it slowly shrunk down to the center of the saberstaff that was slowing down it’s spinning at the same time. The wall retreated and collapsed into a single point, the center of the saberstaff where Berserker’s hands were situated, and then the mana ceased flowing out to augment her saberstaff. Slowly, the saberstaff came to a halt as well, going from a blur of red to different arcs of red, and then finally recognizably different blades then slowed to a complete stop. </p><p>Caster didn’t even know she had been slashed until she felt the warm liquid dripping onto her leg. </p><p>Looking down, she saw the red streak of flesh running across her white uniform, now stained with a layer of concrete dust and blood. </p><p>Berserker sheathed her sword as Caster fell to her knees in the exact same position the illusion had shown her being in, the saberstaff clipped onto her belt as she used telekinesis to freeze her in place, her right hand stretching out towards Caster as it formed a half-curled fist. </p><p>Without warning, the tip of the staff glowed, the crystal lighting up, and the cerulean spears from earlier floated in a circle around it, thin blue streams of energy connecting to the crystal and shooting up into a portal above, shadowy green shifting around the edges of the circular hole. </p><p>Slim beams of azure rained down on Berserker from the charred and blackened ceiling, slicing towards her limbs, head and body as they changed directions midair from landing away from her to a razor sharp turn that pitted her right in their sights. </p><p>Still, this was Berserker. </p><p>She easily batted them aside by flicking them with her single-bladed lightsaber, her other hand lifting up and absorbing the blasts as a combination of her lightning and telekinesis formed a rotating circle of lightning on her palm that ‘ate’ the energy. </p><p>Still, it was enough to buy time for Caster to put some distance between them and recollect herself as she used some basic healing magecraft to treat the wound at her side. Thankfully, her Noble Phantasm had been active in her body since she had called on her holy land when Berserker had just broken her invisibility. Carnwennan had come back to her arsenal with a slight delay, but the actual invisibility spell took time to cast, so instead she decided to lure Berserker closer with her own body, then manifested her Noble Phantasm internally to avoid grievous injuries. It was surprisingly easy, since she had already linked her Noble Phantasm to the major ley lines at Ryuudou temple, hence rendering ‘constantly active’, so since her body was also part of the prerequisites for the Noble Phantasm, she was also part of the Noble Phantasm itself, allowing it to take form within her. </p><p>In fact, casting on allies was actually more difficult since the Noble Phantasm was already anchored in place so to speak, so she didn’t cast it on Saber earlier despite the relatively low mana cost. </p><p>The two of them stared at each other, one gritting her teeth and leaning on her sword-staff, treating the wounds she had sustained, while the other looked on coldly, her lightsaber remaining out though she remained still.</p>
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<a name="section0131"><h2>131. Chapter 129</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 129</p><p>“Your name is...Lord El Melloi, is it not?”</p><p>Illya greeted them with an innocent smile, but her voice was calm and neutral, a far cry from what one would expect when looking at her childish body and immature face. </p><p>“Yes, but with the second. As in Lord El Melloi II.”</p><p>“Ah, I see.”</p><p>Putting her hands behind her back, she leaned past El Melloi to look at the other two magi behind him, a boy carrying a slightly older woman on his shoulder, the woman haggard and drawn as she relied heavily on the boy to remain standing. She blinked once at seeing the black fingers on her hands, an unnatural charred texture with cracks that exposed the flesh under the skin.</p><p>“And them?”</p><p>Her eyes turned back to El Melloi, the red circles fastening on his own, a shade of muted gray that was almost indistinguishable from the black iris. </p><p>“Those two are my st-, my allies.”</p><p>He gestured toward Flat first.</p><p>“The boy is Flat Escardos, and the woman is Ayaka Sayjou.”</p><p>So it was these two he had brought along.</p><p>Illya had received intel on the other Masters courtesy of Einzberns information network, though it was far from complete, considering how little the Einzberns socialized with other magi, almost complete hermits unless other magi came to their doorsteps to bargain for materials and techniques. However, ever since the Magus Killer, Kiritsugu Emiya, had almost succeeded for them before the betrayal at the end, they decided to reference his methods and adopted some of them, though technology remained absolutely off-table for them. </p><p>Their newly cultivated information network had little in the way of established relationships and contacts, instead relying on freshly made homunculi agents and homunculi spying devices that perfectly mimicked mundane creatures, to eavesdrop in the Clock Tower, Barthomeloi family estates, Animusphere manor and other places and people deemed worth paying attention to. </p><p>Of course, not all of the deployments were successful, with an average rate of 12.6% survival, with only 3.2% of these providing information that proved to be useful. That is to say, about a page’s worth of information was gained. Despite that, they were still able to extrapolate and deduce based on the information they had to discover the identities of the Clock Tower’s representatives, as well as the individual entries of Araya Souren, and the scheme to take Araya’s position in the war by the Archibald’s family head, and the Clock Tower’s under the table agreement with them. </p><p>With that, she was able to recognize the two behind the Lord from the time when she had been presented with the dossiers containing the potential candidates Lord El Melloi II would bring along with him for the Holy Grail War. At first, she hadn’t really wanted to read them, but Berserker had subtly nudged into reading it by reading the files herself one by one, until Illya followed her example and started reading as well. It definitely wasn’t because Illya had been bribed with dad pics Berserker had found lying around (supplied by the maids).</p><p>Her eyes scanned over the two, noting their condition, then she spoke to El Melloi. </p><p>“Is your team involved with Avenger and the disturbances in the leylines?”</p><p>Depending on his answer, she would kill them on the spot, or cooperate with them. Judging by how Flat seemed to have his hand full with Ayaka, with the woman in no condition to be fighting, she’d likely only have to deal with El-Melloi in a fight. And if there were two things that were well-known in the Clock Tower about him, it was that he was a ‘Killer of Magecraft’, deconstructing to such a degree that it stripped the spell to it’s very basics, thoroughly comprehending it and reducing the Mystery surrounding it. The other was that he was simply bad at magecraft. It wasn’t that he didn’t have the knowledge, he simply didn’t have the talent. His circuits, when compared to his former mentor Kayneth El Melloi, was like the difference between a cup of water and a lake. </p><p>Illya could easily skewer him before he could raise a bounded field to protect himself, she could already picture the large blade bursting through his chest, painting his clothes in even more red as he fell to the ground in shock, eyes wide and mouth gaping. </p><p>While she could be cute sometimes, she was also the daughter of Kiritsugu Emiya, and had inherited some things from him. </p><p>“No, we’re here to investigate the Holy Grail as participants with our own Servant to simplify things. Our former base was also attacked by Avenger earlier.”</p><p>El Melloi, despite being mediocre at magecraft, could still sense the imminent danger to himself and the two people behind him if he answered incorrectly, and so he did his best to appear truthful, though inside some part of him was screaming and yelling at why the world just had to throw a magi in their path of escape just as they were about to leave the manor behind, and another part of him fretted at what he was going to do if Illya attacked them. He resisted the urge to reach for his cigars, the pack of amenities resting in his breast pocket beneath the red coat.</p><p>Illya paused for a moment, her round, clear eyes framed with white eyelashes taking in his expression, posture and gestures. </p><p>Closing her eyes, she nodded.</p><p>“Alright, let’s go. I’ll follow you to a safer place, then let’s talk about how we’ll cooperate in this messed up war.”</p><p>Ruler and Avenger appearing in this war basically spelled doom for the outcome, and with so many problems showing up, it was likely that she needed to cooperate with others, despite her fighting strength being sufficient. After all, she needed to investigate the Grail herself, but with so many unknown factors, it was better to have someone watching her back, rather than going in alone. </p><p>Although it was possible that El Melloi was lying, despite his entire body seemingly indicating his honesty, she could always take him out later if she found out he and his team were part of the problem. </p><p>For El Melloi, he internally sighed in relief, unexpectedly having another ally delivered in front of him to add to his cooperation with the Tohsaka’s . He was glad, but now wasn’t the time to celebrate though. </p><p>“Let’s get going then.”</p><p>Moving over to Flat, he helped her lift up Ayaka as they each propped her under either sides with her arms looped around their necks, Illya only watching them all the while. They placed her in one of the ATV four wheelers, strapping her to Flat, then El Melloi took the other one. </p><p>“Need a ride?”</p><p>Illya hesitated as she stared at the vehicle, before nodding, since she knew there was no way she could catch up with them unless she expended a ridiculous amount of energy. </p><p>In the middle of walking to the ATV, she stumbled, her vision darkening for a moment as she felt the strength leave her body. El Melloi reached out and barely caught her before she fell into the sewers, catching her shoulder as she leaned dangerously to the left. </p><p>“Miss Einzbern! Are you alright?”</p><p>It was only a moment, and Illya quickly regained her usual strength. </p><p>“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”</p><p>She hopped behind El-Melloi, glancing upwards at where Berserker was fighting, before turning back towards the front as they sped through the underground tunnels, heading to the backups they had set up in case the main base, the manor, was rendered unusable.</p>
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<a name="section0132"><h2>132. Chapter 130</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 130</p><p>Walking next to Lancer was somewhat difficult for Rin, as she had to match the Servant’s brisk pace, and on top of that Lancer’s legs were longer, letting her strides go further than Rin’s. When Rin stood next to the Servant, it was obvious who was taller. </p><p>Still, this was a rare chance to talk with a Servant, and while she was an enemy, like Lancer said, during the daytime they were under a truce of non-aggression to avoid exposing magecraft to the world. If she could learn something about Lancer’s Master or her weaknesses, then all the better. </p><p>Still, she had to wonder if it was alright to walk around the city while carrying a large bag of plastic wrapped burgers, fries, onion rings, hash browns and treasure trove of other fast food, with Lancer reaching into the bag and pulling out another morsel to snack on when she felt like it. To Rin, it was kind of gross after seeing Lancer eat so much, and her stomach was slightly revolting after seeing that mountain of food she had already consumed earlier, but she supposed it was her choice, and it wasn’t like eating made Servant’s fat anyways. In fact, it could be said to be advantageous for a Servant to eat more, as they could convert the food into magical energy to supplement their Master’s supply, though the amount of mana gained through this method wasn’t much. Still, if a Servant could eat day and night, in large quantities at the same time, it was bound to make a difference in their mana reserves, however slight. </p><p>Rin decided to thank Lancer that she at least ate fast, saving her the trouble of getting sprayed on by half-chewed bits of food when talking. Instead, Lancer would devour her food first, then continue talking with her. </p><p>In spiritual form, Archer looked at Lancer behind the two, staring at her in undisguised concern and a sort of horrified fascination as he watched the garbage bag sized plastic bags she was carrying slowly empty, burger by burger. Even if Servants couldn’t get sick from that, it just felt wrong from seeing her doing something so unnatural. If it was a normal human, they would have died from choking on the food at this point, with a bloated stomach and bulging throat filled to the brim with mush bits of meat, bread and fries. </p><p>“So what do you think of this world?”</p><p>Up till now, Lancer had only been asking her questions about the world, some of its history and the general state of affairs in the Moonlit World regarding its relationship with modern society. Basic questions that Rin could easily answer with little though, the answers mostly consisting of facts that she simply had to recite from what she remembered. Suddenly asking for her opinion was a twist, and Rin had to take a moment to think, before responding to it. </p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>Lancer swept her hand at the city, at the people bustling on the sidewalks, the muted winter sun hiding behind the clouds, the cars driving past them on the black tarmac. </p><p>“Society. The people. Do you like living here, in this age and place?”</p><p>Rin tilted her head, looking at her surroundings and pondering the question. She had never given the topic much thought. </p><p>Ever since she was born, she was already given an overarching purpose to her entire life, a goal and directions that defined who she was and had to become. There was no choice for her, no freedom. It was simply something that was thrust on her, and she had no choice but to accept it. </p><p>In that respect, perhaps Sakura was better off than her. While she might not have the power or ability of a proper magus, she at least had much more free will in what she wanted to become in the future. Instead of being limited to the Root, there was so much more she could do with her life, and she was free to pursue any of the paths interested. There was no telling where she would go after she graduated from Homuhara Academy. Studying in a university, going to work immediately, travelling overseas and more, there were many things she could do. Rin felt a pang of loneliness at that, though they acted like strangers with each other. At least from growing up until high school, she had always been able to see Sakura. There was no such guarantee in the future though. </p><p>Back to Lancer’s question though, she supposed in the end, she didn’t really care about the society, or the world in general. Her only goal was to reach the Root eventually if she could, or pass the dream and her research on the next generation if she couldn’t, and that was all. As long as the world wasn’t burning flames or suffering some sort of apocalypse, she was fine with it. After all, if she wasn’t inconvenienced, what did she care? She was a magus anyways, and would spend more time in the Moonlit World than in regular society. </p><p>Her father’s teachings had sunken in deeply to become part of who she was, and even if she wanted to change right now, she would have to tear apart her personality from top to bottom to become something else. Being a mage wasn’t just a profession, it was a way of life, as Kiritsugu had also told Shirou as well. A spellcaster like Kiritsugu was much more loose, unbound by the conventions and rules that made a traditional magus, but Rin had been born and raised in a orthodox magus family that was almost as typical as it went, with the exception being that her father was kind to her despite lacking the ability to measure her and her sisters potential outside of being a magus. All he could envision for their future was being a magus, and he automatically thought of that as the best possible future for them. </p><p>Rin looked forward, and shrugged after sorting out her thoughts and feelings regarding Lancer’s question. </p><p>“I don’t really care about it. I’m a mage after all, as long as I can do my work in peace, I’ll be fine.”</p><p>She turned her head to look in the direction of the memorial park set up elsewhere in the city, an empty zone devoid of people or animal life, with only shriveled plants. </p><p>“That said, I don’t think it’s too bad of a place to live in. I’d like it if the world stayed peaceful too.”</p><p>Lancer noted her stare at something far away, then nodded, accepting her answer. While tyranny might have granted peace in a restrictive form to her people, this world could perhaps be good in it’s own way too, despite the conflicts and battles she saw waged in different parts of the world, with strife taking many forms and shapes. But it was far from the perfect world she once envisioned.</p><p>In the end, a true utopia was still far out of reach.</p>
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<a name="section0133"><h2>133. Chapter 131</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 131</p><p>They walked in silence for a while, with Lancer munching on her snacks in full view while passersby threw her curious looks due to her foreign appearance, or glances of disgust at her eating habits, and Rin simply stayed at her side, tagging along as they threaded through the bustling city center. </p><p>Thinking back, her people had never really advanced in terms of culinary skill at all after she pacified all the dissenting voices in her own kingdom. Food was made through ancient agricultural techniques passed down by mouth through generations of farmers, hunters whose grandfathers and great grandfathers had hunted the same forests as they had, fishermen using boats that were older than themselves. The only thing available back then was basic green vegetables, local meat such as venison, beef, pork and chicken, with little in the way of herbs and spices. Bread and gruel was the standard fare for many. Salt was the only thing she could remember tasting in all of the meals she had, whether luxurious or frugal. </p><p>Compared to the burger she was currently munching on, it could be considered an amazing invention in the kingdom she ruled over. No one would ever have thought of placing meat in between two pieces of specially shaped bread and adding sauce with vegetables in between. In the first place, they lacked the spices needed to make the sauce, and no one would go to the effort of mincing meat with other herbs when it was already such a chore to prepare the meat in the first place. The only cheese she had ever eaten in life was cheese that had the same texture as wax, unlike the tangy, intoxicating melted cheese draped around the top of the patty she was currently savouring in the burger. Idly, she wondered if she could have introduced this as standard provisions for her army. </p><p>In the same way, technology and science had reached a point, and then simply stopped. It wasn’t because she was actively shutting down research into anything, because she actually wasn’t against it personally. It was just that it was frequently weaponized against her too often. Chemical weapons were developed, early prototypes of poison gas deployed against her armies. Fire that failed to cease burning, primitive flamethrowers made with hammered iron tubes that shot out oil, projectiles that had exploding parts to further propel them forward, all sorts of weapons were devised and used against her to postpone the inevitable. She was always able to overcome them, but by the time she subdued all her enemies, there was no one else who dared to dabble in researching the natural world, or calculate formulas and problems that would make a farmer’s head spin. In the end, they were either crushed after they joined the forces opposing her, or escaped the country and fled to live abroad, exiled from their own country.</p><p>She had seized people from the enemy to either develop new weaponry, or provide solutions to the problems that plagued her people, such as flooding crops, diseases that threatened to break out across the country and more efficient ways of storing food, things like that. But after they solved the problem, she had them put to death. Because no matter how well she treated them, they always rebelled against her. Was it because of her tyrannical rule? Perhaps so. But in her eyes, it was justified because she bought the safety of her people, despite how much of a terror she could be. She was rarely at the throne in Camelot, and was more often at some battlefield, drenching the soil with rivers of blood. Hers was not the nature of a wise, discerning king that used both words and sword equally, but of a dominating ruler that crushed all that dared stand against her iron fist. </p><p>It was no wonder Mordred gathered all the factions who opposed her and revolted. The Black Thorns, Lancer’s personal army that was counted in the tens of thousands, met the Reds, or the Crimson Lions, as the rebels called themselves, at Camlann. A sea of black clashed against the various rebel armies, a motley riot of colors that desperately fought against the overwhelming hordes that were the King of Storms forces. Lancer still remembered how Mordred had yelled at her, delivering a proclamation of sorts before the battle started, as a personal message to her and to motivate the army behind her.</p><p>“Today, we stand together against the King, the wretched monster that has held this country captive in her iron fist! Before us stands a vast forest of men, standing in the way of our countrymens freedom! But what we lack in numbers, we shall make up with in spirit. Men, follow me and watch as I behead the tyrant!”</p><p>Thrusting her fist in the air, the host behind her roared as one, her charisma raising their morale as she clasped the helmet tightly on her head to charge from the front, her great stallion rising up and kicking its legs in the air as she yelled.</p><p>“Charge!”</p><p>Black arrows fell from the sky, the sky shattering into tiny splinters between the gaps of the arrows as many a shaft found their mark in the soft flesh of the soldiers following her, but those next to her were granted a reprieve as she lifted her sword and swept it across the sky, crimson lightning lighting up the gray sky as it swept in an arc, cutting the down the arrows before they reached her and her companions. </p><p>Far above, the clouds started gathering, the wind whipping more fiercely as thunder rumbled in the distance. </p><p>Sitting astride Llamrei, she lifted her lance and-</p><p>“Lancer, your presence is required elsewhere.”</p><p>Her train of thought in reliving the past was shattered as Kirei’s voice echoed in her mind, bringing her back to reality. </p><p>“Understood.”</p><p>Rin looked confusedly at Lancer, stopping at a random corner of the street as she stared at something far away. The look in her eyes was distant, and her pace of eating had slowed down considerably, though she was still chewing the burger. </p><p>“Lancer?”</p><p>Calling out to her gave no response. Waving her hands in front of Lancer’s face experimentally, she stayed as still as a statue. </p><p>Huh. Didn’t know Servants could zone out like that. </p><p>Rin wondered what to do with the Servant like that. Perhaps she could simply leave and continue scouring the city for her Master’s and the other opponents positions, like she had originally planned to? But it felt somewhat wrong as well, since she still hadn’t found anything worthwhile from Lancer yet. </p><p>Glancing at the bag in her hands, she wondered if Lancer would notice if she just took one burger. Seeing her eat so many had made her hungry as well, and she wasn’t going to miss one after having so many, right?</p><p>Reaching into the back, she did her best to avoid the many greasy wrapped bundles to close her hands around what seemed to be a burger, her hands pressing down on it to feel the soft surface of the buns. </p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>She froze up instantly, feeling a piercing stare land on the back of her head. Sweat immediately broke out on her forehead, and despite her pride of being a magus that kept her composure and elegant, her teeth couldn’t help but chatter against each other before she clamped down on them. </p><p>Archer immediately traveled all the way to the top of a building and materialized there, uncaring of whether he was noticed by Lancer or not. The black bow he used all the time appeared in his hands, his hands nocking an arrow on the string, aiming at Lancer’s head and charging it with mana to increase its speed as it was altered and twisted at his hands. </p><p>Slowly, Rin felt a pressure descend on her entire body, her knees almost knocking together before she commanded her body to keep still. She didn’t dare to turn her head, her hands still lodged in the bag. The weight increased on her, bit by bit, her eyes frozen on a random piece of pavement as she watched the shadow of Lancer out of the corner of her eyes move, something long and thin rising up in the air. Her mouth turned dry, her mind screaming at her to do something, yet she couldn’t do anything at all. </p><p>Archer, ARCHERRRR!!!!</p><p>Archer blocked out the screams of his master in his hand, focusing his aim on Lancer if she did anything suspicious at all. There was no telling what an Artoria would do when somebody fucked with their food.</p><p>Abruptly, Rin felt something touch her shoulder, and she jumped slightly in shock. Her hand lost its grip on the burger, and she felt a firm grip pulling her arm out of the bag. </p><p>“Please excuse me, but I have somewhere else to be.”</p><p>With that, Lancer sprinted into an alley nearby and disappeared. </p><p>Feeling a weight lifted from her shoulders, Rin almost sank to her knees before her hands managed to catch the iron railings next to her, instead leaning heavily on them as she let greedily gulped in fresh air, her mind still spinning from how close she was to death. </p><p>“Master, never do something like that again.”</p><p>He couldn’t believe she was that stupid to do something like that, and he was going to make sure to lecture her when they got home. It was like she was trying to actively trigger a death flag for herself.</p><p>She didn’t even have the strength to reply to his telepathic message, instead catching her breath as she leaned on the railings, her eyes wide as she pressed her hands to her chest in an attempt to calm down her racing heart. </p><p>“I’m definitely going to teach that girl a lesson the next time we meet.”</p><p>Lancer muttered to herself as she rushed to the location Kirei had specified.</p>
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<a name="section0134"><h2>134. Chapter 132</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 132</p><p>The crisp air gave way to black armor as Lancer galloped in the sky on her mount, a bank of clouds surrounding her to obscure from sight of any regular citizens from the ground, cameras or planes. If anyone looked up, all they would notice would be that the skies had suddenly become cloudier. Despite the winter temperatures and the high altitudes, her Servant container allowed her to ignore such things, letting her endure the freezing winds that swept across the skies above Fuyuki, even in her metal armor that did little to insulate her body temperature.</p><p>Within minutes, she arrived in the skies above the ruined mansion that formerly served as the Clock Tower mages base. Eyeing the location through a small gap in the clouds, she dispelled her physical form, spiritualizing her body and falling down as the clouds that were used to hide her dispelled under her command. As King of Storm, it was only fitting that she had some measure of control over the weather, though it really only let her stir up storms when she felt like it. Making it cloudier was to an extent part of what a storm did, so she was able to use it as camouflage while riding in the skies in broad daylight. </p><p>Her spiritual form halted above the ruins, and she caught sight of the local government peacekeepers, police was it? They were keeping curious locals and busybodies away, cordoning off the premises, while red...trucks and other uniformed men stood by, looking at the mansion warily. After judging that they didn’t seem intent on entering the mansion grounds, she proceeded inside, the clashes between the Servants obvious from the stupendous amount of mana being released that could be easily sensed by any mage worth their salt. Passing through the dark elevator shaft, she tracked the mana being released to it’s source.</p><p>She was vaguely surprised when she saw Saber laying her head on her Master’s lap, unconscious, while Caster on the far side limped towards her allies, her clothes ripped and torn, with several nasty looking injuries on her as well, with a large gash on her side, and purple bruises circling her neck. It was a prime opportunity right now to engage the Masters and kill them, but for whatever reason, her Master had specifically told her not to engage them, and to simply retrieve her target and escape. </p><p>With her target nowhere in sight, she decided to proceed onwards, going for the next target on her list, the Berserker running out of the base through to the exit while her Master instructed her on where to go with El-Melloi relaying the directions to Illya. Berserker had just recently ingested chestnut paste, so her Altreactor left behind a very distinctive mana signature, making Lancer’s job of tracking down the Servant much, much easier. It wasn’t long before she homed in on Berserker's location, the Servant giving off such a powerful presence it was almost impossible to miss her. With such a powerful person protecting her target, Lancer needed to proceed with caution, devising a plan in her mind to take advantage of the burdens Berserker was currently carrying. </p><p>Normally, a Servant couldn’t be sensed in spiritual form, but with Berserker’s sharp instincts that bordered on premonition, she just felt something was going to go wrong soon if she didn’t get out of the base soon. She picked up the pace until it was just barely safe for her passengers, Gray and Avenger shaking on her shoulders as she rounded corner after corner, dashing through like a blitzing rabbit. </p><p>A lengthy straight corridor, perfect. </p><p>Lancer materialized right outside the door of the main command room, just as Berserker was merely a few steps away from it. The great lance manifested in her hands shot forward, a great black thorn with red spikes sticking out that made dodging it difficult. With little space to dodge, and two passengers on her body, Berserker took the blow head on, blocking it with her superb strength. But instead of holding on, like Lancer expected her to, she quickly loosened up and let Lancer push her back, using the force to reposition herself as she flew backwards, with one hand around Gray while Avenger’s body slipped off her shoulder, the hand she was wrapping around it used to hold Necrocalibur for a one handed block. In a flash, she dropped Gray on the ground and dashed, or more accurately jumped forward, her right leg hammering into the ground to shoot her forward before Lancer even had the chance to touch Avenger. </p><p>*Zshummm-zashun!*</p><p>Even if Lancer wasn’t mounted, she was still able to put up a good fight. Her lance pretty much covered a quarter of the hallway when she swung it, the spikes extending the range of the polearm beyond its normal effective area. The crimson plasma blade clashed against solid metal and crystalline spikes a darker shade of red than the glowing sword. Thrusting the tip of the lance at Berserker, the tips of the spikes grazed at Berserker’s shoulder as she narrowly dodged it by turning sideways, then the lance suddenly stopped and shifted into a horizontal slam, aiming to skewer Berserker against the wall with the spikes. </p><p>Still, the energy granted by the chestnut paste had yet to run out. </p><p>The black cloak flapped into the air, Berserker ducking so fast air was displaced into the ground, the gas rebounding off the floor to create an updraft of wind, and flipped her cloak upwards. The spikes pinned the cloak, but Berserker paid it no mind and surged forward with no heed to the torn cloak, lightning left in her wake as she crossed the meter or so separating her and Lancer to thrust her lightsaber into the Servant’s stomach. </p><p>She released her lightsaber and jumped upwards, but it came a smidge too late as her leg got caught with Lancer’s right hand while the left swung the lance and trapped her legs with the spikes onto her own body, the ruby spikes piercing through Berserkers skin and going all the way into Lancer’s body as well. By swinging the lance at herself with all her might, Berserker had been caught, the willingness to harm herself and pull off such a self-destructive move surprising Berserker when she had stabbed Lancer in the stomach. Berserker had still managed to almost escape, it weren’t for Lancer using mana burst to speed up her hand and catch Berserker’s leg in that instant when she leaped up. </p><p>Wasting no time, Lancer wasted no time to summon Llamrei, the horse biting Avenger’s neck and galloping off, with Lancer keeping Berserker locked in place. </p><p>Then red arcs of lightning leapt from Berserker’s finger, lethal volts of energy seeking out Llamrei’s legs, but the horse put on a burst of speed and outran it, then leapt Berserker’s saberstaff went flying beneath it’s hooves, the carmine red saberstaff spinning into a circle of red that could easily slice off its hooves. </p><p>Lancer was already knocked out by Berserker’s lightning at this point, with her own body injured as well from Berserker’s stab and her own self-inflicted injuries. As soon as Llamrei dropped off Avenger in the hands of the priest waiting inside the base, Lancer dematerialized, the horse disappearing with her.</p><p>Looking at the sorry state of Avenger, Kirei wondered how long it would take to heal the puppet. While sneaking into the underground complex, he had seen the scars of their battle, and it was no exaggeration to say that whoever brought her down was an opponent to watch out for. </p><p>Taking Avenger’s body, he slipped out of the base, leaving unnoticed by any other participant, his Servant left to recover on her own in spiritual form.</p>
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<a name="section0135"><h2>135. Chapter 133</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 133</p><p>Carrying Saber wasn’t too difficult considering how little she weighed after her armor was dispelled, but it was troubling in other ways for the teenage Shirou. With every step, her golden hair brushed against his cheek, the top of her head smelling like a fragrant field of flowers, even after the battle she had just been through. Her soft and warm body pressed against him closely with her arm wrapped around his neck, and it leaned further in whenever they took a step forward, something soft and squishy pressing against his ribs that made his face flush slightly, despite the situation they were in. </p><p>Earlier, she had insisted on walking on her own just after waking up from her electrocution, even while her mouth struggled to form words with the muscles in her body still stiff and unresponsive after getting run through with fatal volts of electricity, which when compounded with Berserker’s anti-Saber capabilities, dealt a heavy blow to Saber’s body. She had forced herself to stand on shaking legs, her hands braced on the wall, and told them that she could walk by herself. Obviously, she failed to convince any of them, and Caster could only alleviate the tingling in her body slightly, so she was forced to lean on her Master once more. </p><p>Kuzuki had considered offering his help, but Caster had subtly signalled him to let them handle it themselves, so he had refrained. Caster could tell how frustrated Saber was, and relying on someone else other than her Master would probably make her even more so. After all, she was also secretly grinding her teeth after her defeat at Berserker’s hands, feeling vexed at how Berserker had suddenly transformed into a monster of a Servant, completely surpassing her performance at the start and easily taking out Caster. </p><p>Still, she didn't show these emotions on her face too openly, though her eyebrows were furrowed as she replayed the fight earlier in her head, trying to pick out parts where she could have done better. It had been a very fast-paced battle, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any place that she couldn’t have reacted differently and possibly changed the outcome of the battle. </p><p>She almost jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, but she calmed down quickly upon realizing it was only Kuzuki. </p><p>“Focus on the future. Now that our enemies have gathered together, we will need to strengthen ourselves in turn as well.”</p><p>With his years of teaching at school and skills of observation drilled into him during his younger years training as an assassin, he didn’t fail to notice the subtly dissatisfied expression that Caster was wearing as they walked back to the temple. It was easy to imagine why after seeing the battle they had just experienced, and how she might be questioning herself right now. </p><p>“When we get back, we can try that thing you were talking about before.”</p><p>Caster’s eyebrows lifted, but then she glanced at the duo behind them, taking it slowly with Saber’s injuries, then whispered to Kuzuki. </p><p>“I thought you were against it before?”</p><p>“It seems like that the environment will force us into using it sooner or later.”</p><p>It was merely an idea that Caster had thought of regarding how she could help Kuzuki achieve more firepower after seeing that he could stand on the frontlines and fight against Servants, but anything that would allow him to do so also came with its own share of risk and danger. It wasn’t exactly life-threatening, but it was still far more dangerous than the reinforcement she had applied with miniature swords as the catalysts, which had done for Kuzuki when he was sent to contact Shirou. Even now, the places where the swords were laid onto the skin and fused into the flesh where still charred and black on the edges after Kuzuki had drawn on their power to fight against Berserker, the conduits pushing more power onto his mortal body than it could handle, even with how highly trained it was. Something a step further than that could possibly cripple Kuzuki if done wrong. </p><p>As they discussed the augmentation, Shirou thought about the battle earlier, to take his mind off the soft female body pressing against him.</p><p>There really was no way he could step in there. As a human, with a frail and feeble body, he would be chopped to bits if he stepped forward. A single blow, one kick, and he would be fatally injured, the flesh easily giving way to the plasma, the bones in his body shattering from the massive amount of kinetic energy each punch and kick packed. If he fought Caster, he would be dead before he could even take three steps towards her. Against Berserker, all it would take was lightning streaming from her fingertips, and he would collapse on the ground, writhing and screaming in pain. With Saber, well he already knew how it would turn out. He had been training with her for hours after all, and it was pretty obvious how it would turn out in the end. He had barely been able to dodge one or two blows while she was holding back, standing back up with a severe bruise as the only consequence, but in battle when she was serious, he would be cut down on the floor, his guts spilled on the ground before he could even tell he had been struck. </p><p>Lancer was only the tip of the iceberg for the Servants, and she had already killed him once. </p><p>What...can I do?</p><p>For a person struggling to be an ally of justice, a hero that would save people, he couldn’t stand watching on the sidelines. It was against his very nature, and he felt sick when Saber and Caster got injured because of him, to some extent. But stepping in without even a shadow of the hope of succeeding was plain dumb. He was only a mediocre magus, with a small chance of successfully reinforcing things and tracing objects. Asides from his admittedly fine physical capabilities, that was it. What else was he capable of? </p><p>Inexplicably, his eyes were continuously drawn to Caster, and he remembered the swords she had conjured. There was no way to keep them out of his mind, after he had seen them used so superbly to great effect in the battle earlier. He had never thought that a mage could use swords like that, but here was proof that swords could be used as catalysts. His hands itched when he witnessed Caster fighting like that, his heart pounding as his chest grew warm. Maybe, just maybe, he could become something like that one day? He didn't know what he was feeling, all he could say was that he just couldn’t stop thinking about it when he watched from the back, even with fear and anxiety crawling up his throat while watching them fight, frustration and disgust at his own powerlessness mixed in. </p><p>He’d have to ask Caster if he could learn more about her magecraft later on.</p>
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<a name="section0136"><h2>136. Chapter 125</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 125</p><p>Taking a deep breath, Berserker did her best to mask her slight fatigue after using such a large amount of lightning, her muscles tingling as they felt the stress of channeling the energy. Her yellow eyes fell on to Saber’s prone body, her muscles still spasming as she writhed on the floor, then she took a step back as several emerald spears impaled the floor in front of Saber. </p><p>A literal wall of mana came flying at her, forcing her to recall her saberstaff into her hands and slash through the wall with a fair amount of strength, mixing in her lightning to disrupt the cohesion and create a gap large enough for her to fit through. By the time she was done, Caster had grabbed Saber and retreated with her, placing the unconscious Servant next to her Master so she could recover. </p><p>Well, that was fine with Berserker. Illya had explicitly told her to not kill any Servants while protecting Assassin, and it wasn’t hard to tell why. Considering her status as the Lesser Grail, if any Servants died, they’d go straight to her for storage, and it would lead to her eventual degradation once enough Servants fell. It would be best for her to delay that process for as long as possible to figure out what was going, and Berserker wasn’t averse to letting her Master live longer either, even if it was only for a few more days. </p><p>Still, Caster could be a harder opponent to subdue. While she was able to easily defeat Saber in one fell swoop, it was mostly due to the fact that the damage she dealt to her was multiplied by her Concept, a weapon tailored especially for the Saber-class, a poison that was lethal to them, but harmless to the other classes. Hence, she was able to electrocute and knock out Saber with her maximum non-fatal charge without much problem, despite the Servants hardy disposition and stubborn streak. Caster though was another problem entirely. It was difficult to say how she would take the hits, though on the surface she didn’t seem too threatening or difficult to face. </p><p>Caster was unable to interfere in the battle earlier besides offering her support abilities to Saber due to the nature of the narrow hallway and the lack of coordination between her and Saber, despite their true identities being exactly the same. But with Saber down, she could freely move and engage Berserker, this time with some idea of what to expect after seeing Saber fight with her. </p><p>Berserker drew on more mana from her Master to replenish the energy she had expended earlier, especially the large amount spent electrocuting Saber. Keeping an eye on Caster for any further moves, she kept her saberstaff out, the twinblades hissing and humming. She briefly contemplated fully manifesting Necro-calibur with her second lightsaber, but decided against it. Using three blades against Caster seemed like overkill for the moment. </p><p>*ting*</p><p>Tapping the tip of her staff against the ground, Caster made the ground light up, a Bounded Field of blue wrapping around Shirou, Kuzuki and Saber, a blue line tracing itself on the ground and ceiling as an opaque sapphire wall manifested itself around them. It was pretty basic Bounded Field in reality, but it would buy her some seconds if Berserker got past her and decided to attack the Masters directly, despite how she seemed to disregard that course of action. There was no telling when she’d change her tune. </p><p>Passing through the wall without resistance, Caster stepped forward slowly, her staff held loosely in one hand, held horizontally by her side as the tip glowed blue, the crystalline azure rock visible within the branching sapphire prison holding it rising and ebbing in the intensity of it’s glow. Slipping several blue capsules into her empty hand, she continued advancing, getting closer and closer to Berserker. </p><p>Berserker for her part simply stared at Caster, scrutinizing her appearance, body language, weapons, anything that could provide clues as to how to best defeat her. After a moment of studying her and holding her place, Berserker vanished. </p><p>Or at least, that was what it seemed like to Shirou. It was his eyes that couldn’t keep up, making it look like Berserker had disappeared, when she had moved at speeds that left a wake of air splitting apart behind her, a sudden wind brushing against Shirou’s face, cooling his body.</p><p>Aiming with expert precision, she slashed at the hand holding the staff, aiming to disarm Caster before she could cast any spells. It was common for magi to be less capable in melee combat, and it was easy for a Servant to take out a magi that was inexperienced in fighting at close range, with close-quarters combat something that few magi mastered, though there were exceptions. In any case, it was an amateur mistake to allow a melee fighter into a magi’s range, effectively granting them the advantage. </p><p>Which was why Berserker twisted around as Caster suddenly faded into existence behind her, the image of Caster in front of Berserker that she had targeted originally fading away in return as Berserker’s mind no longer recognized that Caster was standing there, breaking the illusion. Caster’s surprised face was on full display for Berserker, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open as Berserker struck Caster, cutting the staff in two and slashing a shallow cut into her arms, blood staining her prim white clothing. Stumbling back, the broken staff clattered to the floor as Caster leaned against the wall, staring at Berserker wide-eyed.</p><p>Lifting the tip of her saberstaff to Caster’s throat, Berserker met her terrified gaze, her emotionless face revealing little to the Servant, as well as the Master’s watching her down the hallway. </p><p>“Yield.”</p><p>Caster bit her lip, trembling, before she slowly knelt on the ground, her head bowed in submission. Her arms hung uselessly next to her, dangling and scraping the ground with the muscles used to operate them severed. </p><p>That was too easy. </p><p>Berserker stared at the figure kneeling on the ground in front of her, head bent so low she couldn’t see her face at all. Was Caster this weak?</p>
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<a name="section0137"><h2>137. Chapter 134</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 134</p><p>After properly setting up the various points of magic circles in the city to complete the passive surveillance system, Rin and Archer headed straight back to the manor. </p><p>Strange, they haven’t replied to any of my messages at all.</p><p>The Clock Tower mages had given her a cellphone to use for contacting them, but with her inability to use it, she had to let Archer operate it after the screen started displaying strange letters and text when she pressed a few buttons during her attempt to call them. Archer had punched in the number they had given her, but after several calls and SMS’s, they still didn’t pick up, so she was starting to wonder what was up with them. </p><p>“What the hell happened here?”</p><p>The flattened ruins of the mansion greeted her when she walked to the gates, with police cars and tape surrounding the entrance, policemen standing guard next to it, while the crowd that had been there earlier dispersed after some time had passed. </p><p>Suppressing the surge of panic about what could have happened to her allies, she kept a calm face and walked up to the policemen on duty, standing at the perimeter, doing her best to seem clueless. </p><p>“Sir, do you know what happened here?”</p><p>The policeman had noticed her approaching, and after seeing that she had no ill intent, he relaxed a bit, answering her inquiry as best as he could. </p><p>“A call came in earlier about a big explosion in the neighbourhood, and a patrol was sent here as usual. We found the mansion like this, with no bodies or any sign of victims. It would be best if you went home now, it’s probably not safe to be around here.” He added, seeing as it was getting late, and there was no telling if another explosion could occur. </p><p>Rin nodded as if saying “I see.”, keeping her model student persona on. After thanking the policeman and walking away, she ducked into an alley after she was sure she was out of sight, summoning Archer to physically manifest there. </p><p>“Archer, did you see anything noteworthy?”</p><p>Archer, who had been watching all the time, told her everything. </p><p>“It seems like the mansion, along with all the magical defense installed, was completely obliterated, with all the dolls, corpses, turrets, Bounded Fields and anything else that was part of the defense system gone. It looks like the attack came from above, judging by the crater caving the ground in at the center, and how the damage near the center of the house was heavier than the outside. Somebody also cleaned up the visible remains of the defenses, as I couldn’t find any traces of the mechanical dolls, turrets or the corpses Kairi used. It seems like the police also couldn’t find anything suspicious in the remains of the mansion, and the entrance to the underground complex remained hidden as well. Whoever cleaned up the scene might have picked clean the mansion and covered up the entrance too.”</p><p>Rin nodded, as she had also noticed that there didn’t seem to be any noticeable fuss she would expect if something magic related was discovered, let alone the large underground base under the mansion, built in secret and covered up through extensive usage of magecraft and bribes. She also hadn’t sensed any of the more overt magical defenses, and if Archer was able to freely enter, it meant the Bounded Field that prevented entry from spiritual bodies was also down, a key part of their defenses against Servants. </p><p>In that case, it was probably better for her to follow the instructions they had given her if the base was destroyed, though she hadn’t expected to perform them so soon. If she remembered correctly, the location was probably somewhere close to the hill in Miyama district. </p><p>“Wait, did you see the pouch?”</p><p>Archer, who knew his Master better than she thought, shook his head, a slight smirk on his face when she fell to her knees with a look of blank shock, the light in her eyes snuffed out. </p><p>“Ahhhhh―my gemssss!!!!”</p><p>She did her best to keep her voice down, but even so it was still evident how distraught she was. Her hand clutched her glossy black hair, her eyes shut as she remembered how much they cost, and how full they were with magical power, each gem worth two years of her own charging. Given to her as a sign of trust earlier on by the Clock Tower magi, they were now gone. She had only taken the bare minimum needed with a few extra for emergencies, and left the rest at the mansion, trusting in it’s defenses. Who would expect someone to attack such a heavily guarded place, in broad daylight no less, right?</p><p>“No, maybe they took the gems with them when they fled…”</p><p>That’s right, it was possible that Lord El-Melloi, Gray and the rest had grabbed the important stuff and fled with it, so that was why Archer couldn’t find it earlier. </p><p>Lifting her head, holding that fragile hope to her heart, she spoke to Archer. </p><p>“Let’s go find them now.”</p><p>He dematerialized, and Rin took off to the location that they had specified for meeting up in case such situations occurred. </p><p>“Hohhh, not bad, not bad.”</p><p>*Schlick*</p><p>“Gems of such exquisite quality, packed with so much refined mana, truly such a rare delicacy to come across, especially in such an isolated place such as Fuyuki.”</p><p>*slrrrp-shp*</p><p>“I remember this taste from somewhere though, when was it again...ah, that’s right. Those blond twins from Poland? No, Finland, that’s right. Hehe, to think that I would have the chance to savour something so delicious again, what a treat. Those were the days, when I cooperated with the Tohsakas to take them down, splitting the spoils of war between the two of us. A pity that the older one didn’t last long though. At least she was useful for energy.”</p><p>The sparkling ruby disappeared into the slimy throat of the toothless old man, swarms of insects within his false body swarming onto the shining beacon of energy until it was all but drowned in a sea of writhing, pulsating white flesh. One by one, the gems in the velvet pouch disappeared, a withered hand taking them out one by one, and when it was empty, the pouch fell to the ground, discarded and useless, forlornly drooping on the concrete. </p><p>A glint appeared in the old man’s eyes, the hint of vitality incongruous with the rest of his body that was on the verge of breaking down, rotting away and disintegrating with every passing second. </p><p>“I  haven’t felt so good for a long time. Perhaps, I should pay my cute granddaughter a visit.”</p><p>A throaty chuckle rattled in his thin throat, and he disappeared into the shadows as the sun dipped below the horizon, with his figure gone when the moon shone on the deserted back alley.</p>
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<a name="section0138"><h2>138. Chapter 135</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 135</p><p>Lying on the white bed, the sheets stained with sweat and the faint smell of vomit, Sakura was huddled in the sheets, her form draped with blankets. A bowl of water lay on the desk near her, with several towels soaking in the cold liquid, a damp towel placed over her forehead as she shifted uneasily in the bed, her cheeks flushed from her internal body heat. </p><p>Carefully placing a hand on the cup and tipping just a few drops of the faint green liquid into the cups contents, he put down the vial, corking it again, and then proceeded to uncork a larger flask and pour deep blue fatty substance into the cup as well, a glistening sheen reflecting the light off it’s surface. With the addition of a few more ingredients, he grabbed the finished product off the table and went up the stairs, holding the tray with two cups steady as he walked up the step, one containing water, the other containing the potion. </p><p>Even if he didn’t have the talent to be a magus, he could still deal with magical substances and use tools that already had magecraft instilled in them, that were purposely designed for use specifically so that the wielder didn’t have to use their Circuits. In order to achieve his goal of becoming a true magus and becoming the official inheritor of the Matou family line, in spite of his lack of innate talent, he had studied hard, taking whatever time he could in his childhood to peruse the modest, but still well-stocked library that the Matou family had at its disposal. Even when he was told it was impossible, he still sneaked in time to read the old books that detailed the various paths of magecraft, and the special qualities of the absorption magecraft that his family supposedly specialized in. </p><p>In the end, he gradually did it less and less, virtually giving up on this dream of his as he became more and more jaded. If it was physically impossible for him, then why didn’t just focus on something else? With no other recourse, he indulged himself, seeking pleasure and self-fulfillment in all other ways that he could. From video games, to sports, to romance and more, he pursued his path of thrills and fun. As for the person who stole that dream from him, it was only right that she compensated in some way, and he could also be said to be helping her with her ‘problem’, so in the end he wasn’t doing something bad, right? It was only natural for the older brother to help the younger sister, and helping her when she didn’t even deserve it proved that he was a magnanimous person. </p><p>Or at least, that was how he used to think of it. </p><p>When Rider came, his life was completely changed. Or rather, he was completely broken in by her. Summoning an Alter was already bad enough, but an Alter cosplaying as a maid was something on a different level, in a manner of speaking. </p><p>Without saying a word, she had immediately gone to town with him, and while he had initially tried to resist it, he quickly fell prey to his own natural desires. Who knew that he would be an M. </p><p>Her natural charisma, combined with her skill Coaching produced extraordinary results in just a few days, at the cost of having him being nursed every night by his own sister and Rider, though the latter only did so in extreme cases such as severe muscular displacement. In that time, he got ever closer to reaching the peak of human physique, reflected on his actions to become a better man, and fully embraced his M side to become Rider’s slave instead of her Master. </p><p>Well, the reflecting part was somewhat inaccurate, but the rest was indeed true. </p><p>And perhaps he no longer treated his sister so roughly as before, though it was just a touch more gentle. He didn’t really actively help her out either, unless Rider specifically commanded him to, which he listened to all the time in anticipation for a reward, such as right now with him tending to her while she lay in bed incapacitated from Rider drawing energy. </p><p>Even so, his mind was sufficiently broken enough after what Rider did that when Sakura took care of him, he felt like she was an angel descended from heaven. No matter how small, that gratitude did leak over into his usual attitude as well. </p><p>Taking care not to make her choke, he raised her head a little as he propped her back on the pillow, the fluffy stuffed cushion now resting on the rest as he pulled her up higher, then he lifted the cup to her mouth.</p><p>“Drink.”</p><p>Though it was terse and short, Sakura still heard it clearly, and creaked her mouth open, her hot breath tickling his hand. Slowly, he poured it in, the greenish gel sliding down her tongue into her throat, the bitter taste making her face twitch into a grimace as her gag reflex triggered. </p><p>“Some water, here.”</p><p>Quickly following the mixture, he gave her a sip from the other cup, washing away the taste of the bitter, pungent mixture from before. Swallowing the cool water, her throat moved, the skin undulating softly, as she took the offered cup. </p><p>Her flushed face, body outlined by the sheets draped against them, and her slight moans were usually enough to make him jump her, but after Rider’s training and extensive mental remodelling, he was able to suppress the urge, though his lust was still there deep inside of him. Nevertheless, it was probably accurate to say that it would require a specific type of situation to satisfy him now, courtesy of Rider. Him being M was a large part of that. </p><p>All of sudden, in the corner of his eyes, he saw a red light flashing, and then disappearing. At the same time, a figure tumbled out of the air, appearing right at the foot of the bed as the air warped and rippled, the image of the wall twisting and distorting slightly before it straightened out again after she fell out of the twisted space. </p><p>The figure dissolved into golden dust mere moments later, but Shinji was able to tell it was Rider before she dematerialized, and that she was heavily injured. </p><p>Ah, I need her to recover before I can get my reward!</p><p>With his heart burning from desire, the blood pumping in his body faster than usual, he lifted himself off the side of the bed and rushed to mix more potions to help Sakura recover, letting her supply more mana to Rider. Somehow, he didn’t question how she had gotten injured, or that Sakura had expended a Command Seal to bring her back. In the end, perhaps his lustful nature wouldn’t change so easily after all.</p>
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<a name="section0139"><h2>139. Chapter 136</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 136</p><p>Stepping through a hole in the wall, Kirei kept his hands behind his back as his feet connected solidly with the ground, looking left and right to make certain there was nobody there. </p><p>Punching a hole in reinforced concrete and steel beams with one’s bare fists would most assuredly attract attention from anyone in the vicinity. </p><p>Thankfully, the spot he had chosen was far from the remaining occupants of the fallen base. When he had felt his heart suddenly constrict, he knew the mud was trying to tell him something, so he followed his gut feeling and allowed the substance flowing in his body to naturally guide him to where it wanted him to go. Like attracts like, and so did Avenger and the Grail mud in Kirei’s body. </p><p>It had led him here, into the drainage system below the city, with foul smells and no small amount of petty vermin, though it could be said that it wasn’t as bad as some other sewers in other more crowded or less advanced cities. For Kirei, it was just a walk in the park. He had lifted a drainage cover in plain sight without hesitation, jumped in, and dragged the cover back in place within seconds, with the next person who turned the corner seconds later where he had disappeared not noticing anything amiss at all. </p><p>He had eventually come up to a wall, and after determining there were no physical or magical secret entrances of any sort nearby, he just punched through the wall to check if there was anything behind it. When his fists hit empty air after passing through the wall, he simply broke down the wall with his body. </p><p>Just in case, he ordered his Servant over, asking her to infiltrate the complex in spiritual form and search for Avenger. There was no other reason that the Grail would compel him to move directly, and he could already sense the Servant’s presence with it so close by anyways, the nature of the class container differing from that of the usual seven classes. </p><p>It didn’t take long for Lancer to arrive at the destination.</p><p>Within the complex and it’s winding passages, he could sense his Servant, as well as a few others fighting it out, though two seemed to be further away, while his Servant seemed to be with another Servant closer by. </p><p>Master, I will deliver Avenger to you. Be close.</p><p>With that, Lancer’s communication cut off as she concentrated on the problem at hand, namely how to recover Avenger’s body from Berserker, arguably one of the strongest Servants in the entire War.</p><p>As for Kirei, he simply followed Lancer’s instructions, picking a spot close by and simply waiting there. He was used to going off vague instructions, and he trusted his Servant to deliver on her promise. She was nothing if not driven. Like a statue carved from marble, he stood in the hallway, his mind clear of any distractions. He kept his breathing steady, his muscles that were fit enough to compete with a bodybuilder loose and warm to actively react to whatever happened. </p><p>In a few minutes, Lancer’s mount came charging at him, the mutilated Avenger in its mouth as it deposited the body gripped between its teeth into Kirei’s waiting arms. Immediately after dropping the Servant, Llamrei vanished into thin air with its master's disappearance. </p><p>Kirei took off like a cannonball the moment he received Avenger, cradling the injured, unconscious Servant in his arms as he bolted straight back to the self-made entrance he had created earlier. His feet whispered over the ground at the speed they moed at, the wind making his brown, shaggy hair stream backwards as he liberally applied reinforcement to his entire body to make sure nothing caught up to him. Indeed, his speed and strength was something that allowed him to rival even Servant, though simply relying on that alone wasn’t enough to fight on par with them. However, his years of experience, coupled with his physical ability and skills polished over those very same years, as well as a plethora of knowledge regarding many diverse topics, did provide him with the strength to combat against the weaker ones.</p><p>Which was why when Avenger abruptly tried to slam a fist through his chest, he was able to react in time and just barely, letting it take a chunk of flesh from his shoulder, instead of making a new hole that would make his lungs, spine and heart much more breezier. With a slight push from his hand that was in reality packing all his muscles tension into one point at his palm, he twisted his waist slightly and put his right leg a step behind, pushing Avenger on the small of her back.</p><p>Avenger went flying, but she easily twisted midair and braced her feet on the sewer walls upon landing, her feet easily absorbing the shock that would shatter a normal person's kneecaps into dust.</p><p>In hindsight, it was amazing that she had lasted so long. With her armor so damaged, it was only a matter of time when Angra Mainyu would lose control over her, and her true self surfaced. As it were, she still wasn’t completely freed yet, though her eyes were narrowed to thin slits that were lit with a small speck of red which glowed in the middle of the whites of her eyes. The armor remaining on her was still somewhat restricting her, the mud in her body actively inhibiting her muscles from tensing, blocking nerve receptors as they surged forth in what limited amounts remained so they could counter her commands. </p><p>For Kirei, he watched as she fell to her knees, growls and snarls issuing from her throat as her entire body shook, her arms lifting and then locking in place in a gesture of supplication, palms raised upwards, as she fought against the mud’s influence. </p><p>A roar shook the tunnel, waves spreading outwards in the sewer water from Avenger as she released a burst of energy, red lightning crackling all over her body, burning the skin and turning it black as she tried to break the armor from the inside, instead of ripping it off with her hands which was prevented by the mud. The exposed parts of her body uncovered by the black armor rippled, electricity coursing off them into the air as she summoned more and more energy into herself, Angra Mainyu trying his best to limit her drawing energy and failing due to his lack of influence in that section of the system, due it being the one part that actually sustained the evil god’s fragments existence. Messing with it would be like a computer messing with its own battery. </p><p>Still, Avenger wasn’t able to break free just yet, her energy from her Master and the Grail itself limited with what little Angra could do, cutting off her supply as much as possible. </p><p>This was enough of a window for Kirei to act.</p>
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<a name="section0140"><h2>140. Chapter 140</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 140</p><p>Rin finished several packs of bread before finally refusing the rest as she realized Berserker wouldn’t stop giving more from the seemingly inexhaustible mountain of snacks on the table. At that point, her lips were smeared with paste of different kinds, and white flecks of cream mixed in as well. All she needed was a drink after eating so much, her throat feeling slightly dry and irritated.</p><p>Excusing herself, she walked to the kitchen where Archer currently was, the Servant sorting out the food supplies and checking what they had in the pantry. </p><p>What do you think they’re here for?</p><p>Besides getting a drink, it was also a good chance to get Archer’s opinion through their connection as Servant and Master. After all, it was silent and impossible to eavesdrop on unless someone with immense knowledge and intimate experience with the Grail system tried. </p><p>Archer continued rummaging in the cupboards, but he already prepared an answer ahead of time, anticipating that she would come to ask him this question. </p><p>They may be our opponents in this Holy Grail War, but so were the Clock Tower magi before they proved otherwise. With Ruler and Avenger summoned in this War, as well as the mystery of the identities and appearances of the other Servant, it may be wise to collaborate with other allies and unravel the true cause behind these problems before we proceed with the War normally. At the very least, a temporary ceasefire could be negotiated first to investigate the Grail.</p><p>Archer’s advice was also based on what he knew of the Grail and Illya, so it was more trustworthy than Rin could have known. From what he’d seen of this Illya, he doubted she would turn on them, unless she was given a concrete reason, and a very good one at that. The Clock Tower mages were led by El-Melloi, and while he didn’t remember that much of his dealings with the man as Emiya Shirou, he knew that magus was a man of his word. Forging an alliance with the two would benefit Rin, and might help her weather the coming storm too. With a War this strange, he knew something big was going to happen, sooner or later. His experiences as a Counter Guardian and his own intuition only further reinforced this notion. </p><p>Rin silently digested his reply, then nodded briefly before she downed her drink, washing it herself before going out to speak with Illya and Flat, with El-Melloi coming down the stairs at the same time to join them. </p><p>They sat at the rectangular dining table next to the living room, with El-Melloi sitting at the head of the table, Berserker sitting on the left next to him, and Illya beside her Servant. On the right, Archer and Rin sat on the wooden chairs, while Flat stood behind his mentor, leaning on the wall and watching the proceedings. </p><p>Rin started off first, opening her mouth to ask the professor.</p><p>“Lord El-Melloi II, what happened while I was away? Did the base get attacked by enemy Masters? Or was it something else?”</p><p>Illya leaned in to listen as well, interested in how the base got wiped out so absolutely in broad daylight, with nobody seeing what happened in the neighbourhood. Rin flicked her eyes to Illya out of the corner of her eyes, but she decided to leave the Einzbern Master for later, focusing on El-Melloi’s explanation first.</p><p>“We went to check on Kairi’s whereabouts…”</p><p>He relayed his account of what happened after Rin left, from him going with Gray and Flat to the forest, until he found traces of Kairi’s struggle, and then heading back to the mansion and finding it in shambles. He then proceeded to tell them what the others had experienced, or what little they managed to tell him before they fell asleep out of exhaustion. Org and Caules were both resting from their wounds after talking with El-Melloi, their wounds preventing them from telling El-Melloi everything. Still, he managed to get the gist of what had happened from them. </p><p>“That’s not possible. Why would Ruler attack us? We haven’t broken any of her rules at all.”</p><p>Rin spoke up upon hearing the identity of their attacker, her disbelief written all over her face at that particular piece of information. Illya too narrowed her eyes, wondering if the information was trustworthy. </p><p>“They were personally beaten up by Ruler, and I checked them to make sure they weren’t under the influence of any magecraft.”</p><p>He left Ayaka’s condition unsaid, but he would tell them eventually in due time.</p><p>After assuaging their suspicions, he continued, telling them of how Ayaka had  dealt with Ruler and the strange behaviour that the Servant of the Grail had exhibited. At this point, all of them seated at the table were pretty sure that Ruler was controlled by someone, if the mages testimony was to be believed. </p><p>“That’s all I have to offer. After that, the rest of what happened should be clearer to Illya and her Servant.”</p><p>Berserker spoke up then, recounting her battle with the other Servants, extracting Gray and Avenger, and finally losing Avenger to Lancer’s sudden attack. </p><p>“So the Master of Lancer could have summoned Avenger.”</p><p>El-Melloi nodded.</p><p>“He is certainly a possible culprit, but it could also be someone else. It would be difficult to summon and maintain two Servants at the same time, considering the barriers in energy consumption and the system denying access to double summons, barring special circumstances.”</p><p>After that, Rin talked about her encounter with Lancer, and with that they could now roughly construct a picture of what had happened today. </p><p>Illya was slightly miffed that the Clock Tower magi had sent people to spy on her, but she supposed it was only reasonable to keep an eye on one’s enemies. Rather, she was more concerned about what the Clock Tower magi and Tohsaka family could do to help her investigate the Grail. While she did have a connection to it with her status as the Lesser Grail, it wasn’t like she could completely analyse the system through it. All she would know was when the Servants died and filled the Lesser Grail with energy. To undertake a more complete look at the system, she would have to head to the Greater Grail itself. </p><p>“I’m sure we’re all in agreement that something is off with this Holy Grail War, considering what has been happening recently, and the irregular status of all our Servants. Therefore, I propose a truce between the three of us, to investigate what has been going on in the system of the Holy Grail. We may try to include other Masters later on, but for now the three of us are the only ones here.”</p><p>The Lord’s words were met with silence, before Rin nodded to show her approval. She was already allied with them before this, and considering how things had gone south for them, she more than determined their agreement through. After all, it was suspicious that the group which had no desire in winning the Grail, and was only taking part to investigate the system was so brazenly attacked in broad daylight, and to such a severe degree. She also had her responsibility as the Second Owner of the land to make sure things didn’t escalate further than they already had. If magecraft was revealed to society due to some malfunction in the Grail, she would shame the name of her family and herself, not to mention become a failure of a Second Owner. The gems they offered were simply a nice bonus. Really.</p><p>Illya hesitated, but Berserker mentally nudged her.</p><p>They’re trustworthy.</p><p>Why?</p><p>My instincts.</p><p>Illya couldn’t resist rolling her eyes, but she decided to trust her Servant. She hadn’t let her down before. And her instincts were sharp.</p><p>“We will also cooperate with you, but only until we find out what’s causing the problems. After that, we’ll see what happens.”</p><p>Her noncommittal response of what would happen after the investigation was slightly concerning, but at least she was willing to hold a truce for now. El-Melloi nodded, then held out a piece of paper.</p><p>“I’ve prepared a geis for us. Take your time to read it.”</p><p>Illya took the piece of paper and stared at it. Frowning, she stared at the last sentence in the terms of the geis scroll. Rin had a similar expression on her face, since she couldn’t recall El-Melloi or any of the other magi mentioning something about this before. </p><p>“I have a good reason for the last term in the contract, but I understand that you two may be wary about signing the geis because of it. If that’s the case, we can hold back on it for now.”</p><p>Surprisingly, he withdrew the scroll quite easily, simply settling on a verbal agreement between the three factions. </p><p>“A truce will be called between the three of us until the investigation of the Grail is complete. Will that be fine with both of you.”</p><p>“It’s fine with me.”</p><p>“I don’t mind it either, but don’t expect help from me if you guys get attacked again.”</p><p>Illya and Rin both gave their consent, and so the three temporarily arrived at an alliance in order to solve the mystery of the current Grail War.</p>
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<a name="section0141"><h2>141. Chapter 141</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 141</p><p>Above the living room, a lone woman lay in the bed, bandages wrapped around her hands and legs, the bandages soaked by the healing balm applied to her wounds. Her chest rose and fell with every breath, her mouth slightly open as she rested, eyes closed and cheeks with a touch more color than before. </p><p>Without warning, her eyes suddenly flipped open, like a switch was flipped. They were not the eyes of someone who had just woken up, clear and unclouded by the pain from her wounds. Sitting upright on the bed, she turned her head mechanically, taking in her surroundings, then she turned her body, her legs leaving the bed as her feet touched the cool wooden floor. </p><p>Standing up, she slowly walked to the door, each step made carefully to make as little sounds as possible. It took much longer than it would otherwise have taken to reach the door of the room, but she was confident no one heard her. Placing a hand on the metal doorknob, she tugged it slightly and pulled, the mechanisms inside the lock turning as she checked to see if she could open it. The knob  fully turned with a click, and the door slipped ajar, the hallway visible through the small slit. </p><p>Pushing the door further open, she stepped into the hallway, her feet finding comfortable carpets spanning the length of the hallway, a muted shade of red and brown close to that of red oak and walnut. She took no notice of it, but merely glanced at the stairs leading down to where the others were, before she went to check the other doors. </p><p>The carpet muted her footsteps as she walked past the doors, heading to the one near the end of the hallway, passing the bathroom on her way there. The door itself was the same as the others, a dark mahogany door that contrasted with the white plaster walls, with square panels on the front. Yet, she knew that inside the room, the two other mages on her team rested inside, recuperating from their wounds. </p><p>She stopped a meter away from the door, her eyes wandering over the door frames, walls, ceiling, floor and the door itself, looking for signs that could indicate a ward or Bounded Field over the door. When she found none, she decided to play it safe and release a familiar first. </p><p>Opening her mouth, soft squelching noises could be heard coming from her throat, the skin on her neck bulging outwards as something forced its way up from her stomach, through her throat, and expelling out of her mouth, falling onto the floor in a small puddle of saliva, bile and stomach juices. Curled up in a fetal circle, it slowly stretched, the shiny, rubbery skin leading to a thin, slimy forked tail that whipped around frenetically, and disproportionately large teeth ending in sharp points, and finally a disgustingly large mouth that just didn’t belong on something that small. It wasn’t the same model of worms as the penile ones, but it would work just as well, if not better, as his eyes and ears.</p><p>The ridges helped the worm inch forward as it crawled on its belly, getting ever closer to the door, a trail of slime left behind it. When it was half a step away from the door, it suddenly stopped, gnashing its teeth at the air, a thin squealing sound coming out of its mouth. The forked tail whipped forward ahead of its main body, and it came into contact with something.</p><p>A piteous shriek came out of its mouths as the tail blackened and charred, the tip ripping free as it pulled it back with haste, sending the Y-shaped end flying off  far away from it. It began it’s slow retreat away from the invisible barrier, crawling back towards where it came from.</p><p>Once she saw what happened to it’s tail, she came over and scooped it up in the palm of her hands, raising her hand to put it to her mouth and swallowing it whole. Her gag reflex failed to trigger, her throat distending once more to allow it to go back into the storage space in her body. Her intestines jiggled a bit in her body as the familiar joined it’s fellows resting inside the fleshy tunnels. </p><p>Opening the door to the bathroom, she ripped several sheets of toilet paper and quickly cleaned up the slime staining the carpet, flushing the toilet paper and cleaning her hands of the slime as much as she could with the bandages covering them. She came out just as Flat came up the stairs, his mouth stretching into a grin when he saw her.</p><p>“Ayaka! You’re already good enough to be walking around? That’s great!”</p><p>This was mainly due to the pain being ignored by the familiar implanted within to control her, so the wounds or injuries didn’t really matter. At most, they’d affect her ability to move if she had severed muscles or crushed bones, but there would be no pain. </p><p>“Ah, I woke up and needed to go to the toilet, so-”</p><p>Mid-sentence while walking, she faked a stumble and allowed herself to be caught by Flat, increasing her rate of breathing to make it look like she was in pain. </p><p>“Ayaka! Your injuries weren’t light, so you should take it easy for now. Let’s get you back on the bed, c’mon.”</p><p>Flat looped Ayaka’s hand over his shoulder and supported her back to her room, tending to the bandages that had come loose and replacing them with fresh ones along with applying more balm, before leaving her to rest in the room. </p><p>Once she was sure Flat was gone for the time being, she opened her mouth, and more insects similar to the first crawled out. Some were thinner, and unfurled thin, translucent wings to fly into the air, while others remained crawling, being carried by the flying ones to the far corners of the room and left there to squirm into small cracks and holes, with Ayaka’s intestines almost emptied of their occupants save for a scant few left for future opportunities. The insects spread out, going through the small gaps in the walls, the ceilings cracks, eating their way through wood and plaster to find hiding spots, going to dusty and untrodden parts of the house to conceal themselves. In a matter of less than an hour, the house was infested with his eyes and ears.</p>
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<a name="section0142"><h2>142. Chapter 142</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 142</p><p>They managed to get back to the temple in one piece, with nothing eventful happening to them during the long walk back. Caster had vanished for most of it, while for Saber who was unable to do so, they were forced to grab a raincoat from nearby to cover her so that she wouldn’t stand out too much. </p><p>Kuzuki went ahead first to make sure the monks wouldn’t spot her in such a state while Shirou pulled out Avalon from himself, having just thought of it when they arrived at the foot of the steps leading to Ryuudou Temple. </p><p>Saber sat on the steps, her energy sapped already just from walking. She watched as Shirou placed a hand on his chest, closing his eyes to bring the form of the scabbard to his mind. It had always been there, a constant presence in his life from the moment he was saved, even if he wasn’t aware of it. His body had recorded it’s every speck, each facet of it until it knew it like the back of its hand, even if he couldn’t fully understand the concept behind it. It was like teaching a person from the Stone Age to make curds from milk without explaining the science behind it. It was easily replicable, and they would be able to perform it efficiently after repeating the process over and over, but they wouldn’t really know the principles behind it unless they researched it and discovered the knowledge for themselves. </p><p>Though if Shirou tried to research the principles behind the scabbard, he might as well try to learn how to turn the Earth into one giant cake as well. It was just that difficult, and alien to human perception and knowledge.</p><p>Golden light formed in Shirou’s other hand as he felt a warmth pass through his chest, a comforting feeling that soothed the fatigue and stress accumulated from the battles earlier. It came from deep within him, a space that felt inviolable, and when it left his body, he felt like something was missing from him, a part of him that without it he was incomplete. Feeling slightly naked, he opened his eyes to see the scabbard resting in his hand, the surface cool to the touch, but inexplicably warm as well, like something was heating it from within. </p><p>Doing his best to ignore that contradictory sensation, he gave it to Saber, kneeling next to her and allowing her hands to cradle it, looking on as she hugged it closer to her body. It rested against her shoulder, the tip lying on her thigh, and then dissolved, the glowing bright as it turned into golden motes of light that passed through the rain coat like it was water to enter Saber’s body, returning to its rightful owner. </p><p>Though the wounds she sustained earlier had healed on the surface, they still ached and pierced her body like thorns in her muscles. Once the scabbard returned to her, she could feel her entire body’s fatigue and soreness from being electrocuted disappear, a soothing calm like bathing in calm waters washing over her. She leaned back and sighed, a content smile stretching across her face as her facial muscles relaxed, until she remembered her Master was next to her. She quickly wiped away the smile and stood up, letting the hood drop over her head to hide her face. </p><p>“Mas-Shirou, let’s go. I will be fine now with the assistance of Avalon.”</p><p>He didn’t really know why she suddenly stood up like that, but if she felt better, then that was good. </p><p>“I’m glad. Let’s go back then.”</p><p>The two of them walked up the steps, side by side, as the cloudy skies parted for a brief moment to let the moon fall on the stairs ahead of them, the gray stone taking a sheen of white under their feet.</p><p>Back in the temple, Caster did her best to prepare a quick meal, her body already recovering with the help of the leylines running beneath their base, the energy rejuvenating her and granting her another burst of energy once she entered the space that was her Temple, the bubble created by her Noble Phantasm. This also extended to her allies and Master as well, and to a lesser extent even the monks, though the most they received was a little extra vitality each day.</p><p>It wasn’t too late in the day yet, though the sun was already down, so she decided that a meal would probably be for them to recover, and then they could talk about the battle earlier. Cooking, cutting vegetables, cooking rice and other mundane tasks felt strange after fighting mere hours before, but it did help give her body something to do as her thoughts turned to Berserker and Avenger.</p><p>Was Berserker and Assassin responsible for Avenger? They had first seen Assassin carrying Avenger’s unconscious body, and then after they had almost taken out the exhausted Assassin, Berserker had shown up to protect them. Then again, considering how Avenger was like when they saw her, it was more likely they had defeated Avenger and then wanted to do something with the Servant, rather than summoning her in the first place. Also, why hadn’t Ruler come when Avenger showed up? She was fairly certain that if something like having Avenger smash an entire mansion to the ground, and then fight with several Servants, the Servant would notice something like that, especially when it was the reason she was summoned in the first place, to oversee the war and address all anomalies that appeared, which was mainly Avenger.</p><p>And then there was the lesser question of their capabilities. While by this point she was fairly certain that besides Archer, based on his appearance provided by her Master, Shirou and Saber last night at the school, was not an Artoria, all the other Servants were. That didn’t mean they were equals in all aspects though, as their classes clearly differentiated their strengths from each other. To her, it also seemed like some were clearly stronger than the rest. </p><p>While she couldn’t really gauge Assassin’s ability after she was so tired out, owing to the fact that she had defeated Avenger and Rider before facing Caster, Berserker was a massive wall that they needed to overcome sooner or later, if they wanted to win the war. Her parameters must have been extraordinary, and after her...powerup, for a lack of a better word, it was like she was facing a demigod. Thinking about it, she should probably ask what her Master and Emiya saw of her parameters. Even with her Noble Phantasm internally active, she was still injured, her internal organs saved only due to her ability. There was nothing much she could do to Berserker, despite her vast array of abilities, but she could tell that at the very least, her spells could harm her. Marmyadose was definitely an ace in the hole that she could use, judging by how Berserker reacted to it, and her other abilities could surprise the Servant, though she didn’t know if Berserker would react the same now after seeing them. </p><p>Saber’s defeat also showed that there was probably a natural ability of Berserker’s that countered her. She had been electrocuted after all, but for Saber to be defeated so cleanly, even with a stronger shock and Saber’s inherent weakness due to her Master, was still difficult to believe.</p><p>They would have to figure out ways to increase their combat ability, and lay out plans for fac-</p><p>She realized the white radish she was cutting had been minced so finely when her thoughts were running through her head that it had turned into paste. </p><p>“Ack.”</p><p>Going overboard like that was kind of bad. She wasn’t especially good at cooking, though she was probably the best cook out of all the Artorias in the war, owing to her experiences in cooking for herself during her life, but during these times, it was nice to have a partner to keep an eye on her to prevent her from making mistakes. </p><p>As if on cue, Shirou walked into the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves already.</p><p>“Need some help Caster?”</p><p>“Ah, thanks! I uh, accidentally chopped the radish like that so…”</p><p>“Eh? That’s really amazing! We could use that for…”</p><p>The two spent some time in the kitchen, doing their best to prepare a meal for the four of them to rest and recover their strength.</p>
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<a name="section0143"><h2>143. Chapter 143</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 143</p><p>It took some time for them to make something serviceable as a meal after Caster realized there were several other places she neglected while her head was in the clouds, with a sizable cloud of smoke wafting up to the roof from a wok that she managed to quickly clear with a wave of her hand. Shirou managed to salvage something from the mess and turn it into something edible, grabbing some extra ingredients from the fridge and making do to create some new dishes as replacements too. It took longer than expected, with Caster listening to Shirou as he instructed her on what to do and provided quick demonstrations on what to do with the ingredients she was unfamiliar with. </p><p>With Caster doing her best and utilizing her Servant powers to prep the ingredients as fast as possible, and Shirou’s skill and experience, they managed to squeeze out a meal that he could at the very least, not be ashamed of.</p><p>Meanwhile, Saber and Kuzuki, having nothing for them to do, with cooking completely out of their area of expertise, rested by themselves after the battle, leaving the meal up to the other two. </p><p>Kuzuki walked back to his own room after checking that the monks were in doing their meditation in the hall, making sure to close the door quietly so as not to disturb them, then told Caster to let the duo at the bottom of the stairs know that they could come up. </p><p>While Caster went to the kitchen to prepare, he was in his room sitting, staring at the wall.</p><p>Well not exactly. In his head, he replayed what he had experienced earlier that day. </p><p>It was a peculiar feeling to be unable to do anything at all. Since he was young, he was trained to be a perfect assassin, a tool that would kill his target and then disappear. For this to work, he needed to acquire many skills and train his ability from the ground up until he surpassed other human beings, a living weapon designed to strike one fatal blow that wouldn’t miss or err.</p><p>Of course, this meant that he was generally superior to most people around him, at least physically, and he was able to function as a teacher most of the time well, with the teaching ability he cultivated, born from the ability to adapt and blend into his surroundings. Rarely did he ever feel that there was something he couldn’t do, that he was powerless. That wasn’t to say that never happened, as there had been some unfortunate incidents involving his students before, complicated family circumstances, criminal affairs, substance abuse and other things that were out of his control, things he couldn’t simply fix just by saying a few words. </p><p>Today, he was once more reminded that there were some things he couldn’t do as well, that he had to leave to others, but in his heart, something didn’t feel right about that. He was surprised at that as well, that he was feeling something he disliked. His life was mostly a monotone, and he was fine with that. Feeling something like this, was surprising, to say the least.</p><p>He knew that he couldn’t face Berserker head to head and win, since last time he faced her on the steps of this very temple, he had straight up lost. He had managed to hold his ground for a time, but it didn’t take long for Berserker to take him out, depriving him of an arm in the process. His hand drifted over to where the skin was smooth and unblemished, which just days before had been empty air. </p><p>If his student hadn’t turned out to be carrying some sort of mystical artifact that could apparently heal all wounds except for those of instant fatality, he would still be short one arm. </p><p>When he had mentally asked Caster to further reinforce him to fight Berserker earlier, she had refused, and instead went out herself to fight against the Servant. </p><p>It wasn’t hard to tell why. All he needed to do was look at his arm and remember what happened the last time he fought against Berserker. </p><p>And to be honest, it wasn’t like Caster couldn’t handle herself. While the general impression of the class and what Caster had told him about mages and the Heroic Spirits supposed to be summoned in the class seemed to be that they were weaker in direct physical combat when compared to the rest, Caster was one of the exceptions to be able to engage in hand-to-hand combat without much problem. </p><p>While she hadn’t exactly won or even injured Berserker much, she had definitely done a lot better than he had. That was to say, not almost dying and losing a limb in the process as well.</p><p>He could pretty much leave the combat to her and direct from behind like a normal Master, and there would be no problem with that. The other Masters were most likely in the same boat as him, and he was only able to fight on the front lines by virtue of Caster’s enhancements. Without them, he was the same, maybe even inferior, to the mages and other people that made up the other six Masters. Caster’s enhancements also harmed him if he went too far after all, so it wasn’t really a reliable source of power for him. </p><p>Unfortunately, he couldn’t do much either as a backline Master. His support ability was close to zero, as he didn’t know any magecraft at all. He couldn’t heal, he couldn’t distract, he couldn’t damage, there was almost nothing he could do to assist in her battles. There was very little he was capable of, and what he could do was within the realm of what any other normal human being could do with enough training and practice, though it could be said he was at the pinnacle of human effort. </p><p>But even the pinnacle of human effort wasn’t enough to face Servants. </p><p>It was ridiculous to think that, and only the exceptions among humanity were able to stand toe to toe against such Spirits and last for more than a minute. </p><p>He could be considered extremely lucky, and one of the few who had fought against a Servant and lived to tell the tale, with everything intact even.</p><p>Nevertheless, as he opened and closed his fist, he wondered whether there was something more he could do. His strength wasn’t much, but surely there was something he could do. It wouldn’t do to show his student that he was kind of, no basically useless. At least Shirou could use magecraft, no matter how small his talent was.</p><p>Inside the kitchen, Shirou sneezed on the tofu he was cutting, the hard sound of the knife smacking on the board prompting Caster to turn around and stare at him, as if to ask him if he had actually sneezed directly into the food they were about to eat. </p><p>Kuzuki stared at the ceiling. </p><p>I wonder what Caster would say if she knew I wanted to fight against them.</p><p>This time, Caster sneezed into the tofu after walking closer to Shirou to check his temperature. They both stared at the white cubic lumps of soya milk, coming to an unanimous agreement.</p><p>“Let’s wash it.”</p><p>The introspective moment lasted for another moment, then he decided that he may as well continue with his usual daily training. There was nothing he could do if he just thought about it after all, and it was best if he could maintain his physical ability so that he could use it whenever the need arose. </p><p>Standing up, he spaced his feet apart at the proper distance and loosened his muscles, his hands weaving through the katas he was taught since his youth. As his physical body moved, his mind settled into a state of concentration to maintain all the muscles and move the ones he wanted, while keeping the rest steady. All thoughts were washed away as he immersed himself into the movements, palms bobbing and stretching as if they had minds of their own. </p><p>Built up from a solid foundation since youth, trained to be a fatal sword with inhuman methods, his physical body may have been full of muscles, with a sharp mind and instincts, but there was just something he lacked because of his upbringing. Yet, staying with two spirits and his students, participating in this bizarre battle royale, he couldn’t help but feel that it felt different than his quiet days of daily life that he had led up until now.</p>
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<a name="section0144"><h2>144. Chapter 144</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 144</p><p>Saber managed to walk all the way to the door, then her legs finally gave out as she crumpled to her knees right in front of the sliding doors leading to her and Shirou’s room. With a heave of effort, she raised her hands and pulled aside the door, shuffling on her knees into the room, and then collapsed on the floor, her cheek pressed against the tatami mats she closed her eyes in the dark room, her spirit and energy spent. </p><p>After being electrocuted, and with her small pool of mana quickly dwindling even with Shirou’s circuits opened properly by Caster, she just couldn’t stay conscious anymore. As she slept, Avalon worked it’s magic, her muscles and wounds slowly repaired as she rested, fatigue and exhaustion healed as she laid on the floor, peacefully sleeping the time away. </p><p>She would have slept until next morning if Shirou hadn’t come over to tell her that dinner was ready. When he saw her on the ground, face pressed against the floor and armor dispelled, wearing the dress underneath, he rushed over and checked her mouth, placing a hand in front of her nose to check for breathing. Her body may have been composed of Ether, but it was designed to simulate that of their old bodies as human-like beings, life forms that required respiration to survive. Hence, Shirou was able to feel a faint tickle on the back of his hand from her nose when she breathed out, and he let out a sigh of relief to know that she was alive. </p><p>Rolling her body over, he carried her body, light and warm to the touch, and placed her on the futon that he had rolled out beforehand, placing her head on the pillow and tucking her hand in the blankets. Smoothing the hair out of her face, he couldn’t help but smile at her sleeping face, a far cry from the taut and guarded expression she wore whenever she was awake. As she was right now, she seemed so defenseless. </p><p>The blood rose to his cheeks after he realised he had been staring for some time, his hands pressing against the floor as he hurriedly got to his feet and tried to leave the room. </p><p>Somehow though, Saber woke up at the same time, possibly disturbed by the sound of his shuffling feet.</p><p>“Sh...Shirou?”</p><p>He had just stood up, but when the small, half-asleep words drifted up to his ears, he knelt back down next to Saber.</p><p>“Ah, just keep resting. I was going to tell you that dinner was ready, but it looks like you need to sleep more…”</p><p>His words trailed off as Saber bolted upright at the words dinner, a determined glint in her eyes as she snapped fully awake. </p><p>“Dinner is ready? Then let us feast, as going to sleep with an empty stomach will only make it harder to fully rest. Hunger is our enemy.”</p><p>She stood up and made it to the door before her knees gave out, her hands on the sliding door to support herself. </p><p>Shirou slid over and hunched his back, letting her lean on him as she rested her head against his shoulder, getting to her feet again. </p><p>“Then let’s go get dinner, shall we?”</p><p>With the two of them walking out together, they managed to get to the dining hall, settling in place next to Kuzuki and Caster who had already settled there a long time ago and were simply waiting for the other two. </p><p>Caster looked at Saber as she voiced her concerns, staring at her leaning on her Master worryingly. </p><p>“Are you ok Saber? We can just save some for you to eat later if you really need to rest first.”</p><p>The blonde with the same face shook her head, sitting down at the table.</p><p>“I’ve had worse. Let’s eat.”</p><p>Seeing Saber sit there and stare at the food with such intensity that it seemed like she would burn a hole into the table, Caster and Shirou couldn’t help but grin wryly at each other, while Kuzuki noted that perhaps food could be used as an incentive for Saber, to persuade to do things she otherwise wouldn’t.</p><p>“Itadakimasu!”</p><p>The four of them dug in the food, freshly steamed rice and tofu garnished with spring onions, a simple soup of vegetables with carrots, konbu kelp and radish, garnishings of lotus root and asparagus decorating the dishes, with beans and fermented food covering the majority of dishes on the table. In particular, the radish paste Caster had accidentally created was also on the dish, as well as some other ‘unique’ creations like the slightly, just slightly, crispier than normal tofu skin, and the weirdly colored tempura that seemed to be cut in blocky cubes, and several plates of murky liquid with eggplants and sesame seeds floating in them, with a strange smell wafting off the plate.</p><p>Nevertheless, Shirou had managed to salvage something from these dishes and turned them into something edible, working his magic into the ingredients after Caster had some accidents to create safe and aesthetically pleasing, not to mention tasty, food that the four of them could enjoy. </p><p>It didn’t take long for both Caster and Saber to start snapping at the last few pieces of food as the morsels disappeared into their stomachs, the two Masters watching them as they went it, the humans desperately trying to secure their pieces of food as well before they were pulled into the gastronomical blackholes. When Caster’s chopsticks met Saber’s over the last piece of tofu, the two of them exchanged an intense glare, the two of the staring at each other, and then Shirou spoke up, sweating as he thought of what would happened to the plates and cutlery with the amount of hostility there was in their eyes.</p><p>“We made extras for everyone, I’ll go get the dishes.”</p><p>Caster blinked, then remembered they did cook extra food, slowly lowering her chopsticks and then standing up from her seat to help Shirou get the food. Saber also broke out of her food-induced haze and sat back down, waiting patiently to be fed, kneeling on the cushion with her back straight like a cat.</p><p>The extra food was summarily cleaned up in no time by the two as well, leaving Shirou with a large pile of empty plates and several pairs of chopsticks. And his own slightly empty stomach, from having to sacrifice a bit of his portion to the two Servants. </p><p>At least I left some secret snacks for myself.</p><p>He managed to cook some extra dishes that he had hidden from Caster and Saber, anticipating that they’d chew through the food faster than woodpeckers on a tree, and it had turned out to be a successful bet. While he felt guilty that Kuzuki was probably going to be guilty, he just couldn’t think of a way to sneak food to him.</p><p>Or maybe when he asked Caster about her magecraft…</p><p>Sitting in the kitchen by himself while eating the cucumbers, he wondered how to transport the plates to Kuzuki while savoring the salty and sour taste of the stock they had been immersed in.</p>
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<a name="section0145"><h2>145. Chapter 145</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 145</p><p>In the end, he decided to just bring the plate to Kuzuki and Caster’s room and hope that Caster was already too full to eat it, and that she would be too busy talking with him to eat the food for Kuzuki. He made a mental note to make even more food next time, and to help restock the pantry for the monks tomorrow, since they had burnt through the food like it was nothing. </p><p>He passed by his room, and he slid the door open for a peek.</p><p> Inside the room, there was Saber, peacefully sleeping away with her stomach full after the wonderful meal she had earlier, a satisfied smile on her face as she lay on the futon. </p><p>Sliding the door closed again, he continued on his way, committing another sleeping face to his memory. </p><p>When he reached Caster and Kuzuki’s room, he heard their voices some ways off, so he stopped at the door, hoping to listen in on what they were talking about. </p><p>Unfortunately for him, Kuzuki was particularly sensitive to noises and signs of people nearby. </p><p>“Emiya, is that you? Please come in.”</p><p>The conversation within the room stopped when Kuzuki called out to him, and with no other choice, he stepped into the room. </p><p>“I brought some food for you, and I also wanted to ask Caster something.”</p><p>Kuzuki nodded and gestured to the cushions on the floor, Shirou going to one opposite the two and sitting down there as he set the plates on the low table.</p><p>“What is it you want to talk about Shirou?”</p><p>Caster was in her casual dress, her hat off and the golden hair exposed to the world as she sat cross legged, unlike Saber who knelt on the floor with her knees touching the ground in proper form. Her staff was nowhere in sight, likely in spirit form to save energy. </p><p>Shirou stretched out his hand in response, and concentrated. A gun clicked in his head as he activated his Circuits, a warmth running through their body as the energy flowed through them.</p><p>“Trace on.”</p><p>Caster and Kuzuki watched as energy gathered in his palm, light glimmering and solidifying into a recognizable shape as a knife appeared in his hands, which Caster recognized as the knife that he had been using in the kitchen earlier when he was cooking with her. If it was just looking from the outside, there wasn’t much difference between the two. The patterns on the wooden grain of the handle was exactly the same, and the blade’s shape and curve was about the same as what she remembered, with even the light striking it in a similar manner as the other blade. </p><p>“Besides performing Reinforcement, I can also do Projection as well, along with Structural Grasping to assist in both.”</p><p> </p><p>He placed the knife on the table, and Caster gripped it in her hands, feeling it’s weight and solidity. It felt quite similar when she gripped it, but upon lifting the tool, it just felt off somehow. Was it lighter than the original one? </p><p>“My projections are hollow in the end though, no matter how closely I try to replicate them. They just don’t match up to the original object.”</p><p>He hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and bowed, going into a dogeza right in front of Caster as he got on his knees and placed his hands together on the floor, with his forehead pressing against the back of his hands.</p><p>“But, I would like to ask for a chance to try Projecting the swords you use Caster! Please!”</p><p>Caster was taken aback by his sudden fervor and passionate plea, but she quickly went over to him, and tried to lift him up from his position.</p><p>“There’s no need to bow to me like that, Shirou. If you wanted to do so, just ask me normally.” She managed to pull Shirou back up into sitting position as her strength won out over his human ability. Once she got him back up again, she sat in front of him and looked him dead in the eye.</p><p>“Are you sure you can handle projecting one of my catalysts though? They’re not just some random kitchen knife you can find in most households. I can tell why you’re trying to do this, but if you push too far, the consequences can be severe.”</p><p>Even as she spoke, she could tell he had already made up his mind. He was a magus after all, no matter how amateur his magecraft was, and he deeply understood the meaning of walking with death as a magus. He had incorrectly performed magecraft every day since Kiritsugu’s death, skirting the boundaries of death each time he forcefully transformed his nerves into temporary makeshift Circuits that exacted a heavy toll on his body, and broke down after less than a day. </p><p>Knowing that trying to Project her sword catalysts could potentially kill himself was scary, but he had long since conquered that fear. </p><p>“I know, but still I want to try.”</p><p>How would he become a hero if he stood safe and secure behind the backs of others every time? </p><p>Caster looked at him, then Kuzuki opened his mouth to speak, having finished the food that Shirou had brought over. Caster pouted slightly at the empty plates with not a single speck of leftovers, but she didn’t react any further as Kuzuki talked.</p><p>“If you’re aware of the risks, then I don’t see any problem.”</p><p>Caster turned to look at her Master.</p><p>“Are you sure? If something happens, he could be severely injured. At worst, he could explode from trying to channel the power to Project them. And even if he succeeds, he’ll just have succeeded in making a hollow replica.”</p><p>Caster’s words rang true, but Shirou believed that even a degraded copy of her catalysts would benefit him immensely. He’d seen what they could do, and if he could even slightly reproduce a tenth of their effects, he’d be able to accomplish much more, in pursuit of his dream. </p><p>“That may be. But it doesn’t seem like he’s going to give up just like that. Better he do it under your supervision, than trying by himself in an ill-advised attempt.”</p><p>Caster stared at the older man, then nodded, sighing as she got to her feet. </p><p>“Come one Shirou. Let’s go somewhere safer, where we can reduce the factors of you dying. “</p><p>“Thank you Caster, and thank you Souichirou-sensei!”</p><p>“No need to thank me Emiya. And call me Kuzuki.”</p><p>“Thank you Kuzuki!”</p><p>With that, Shirou followed Caster out, leaving Kuzuki behind with a bunch of empty plates in the room.</p>
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<a name="section0146"><h2>146. Chapter 146</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 146</p><p>Caster led Shirou out of the temple and to the mountain lake nestling close by, just a short walk away. The night was chilling, with a brisk winter wind still blowing, so he was naturally shivering a bit as he was only wearing a long sleeved shirt that was just barely thick enough to block the cold form completely penetrating his body. At least it wasn’t cold enough for snow to form here though, even though the altitude was high enough for it to happen. </p><p>Following Caster down the path to the waterside, they followed the edge of the lake and traced a path besides it, walking a little more until they came to a stop at a seemingly random spot to Shirou. </p><p>Caster stretched out her hand, feeling the leylines that passed under their feet, power coursing through the ancient veins of the land. </p><p>Satisfied with what she found, she summoned her staff into existence, the black rod and pink sash hanging on it appearing in her hands, with red and green tassels hanging near the end, the blue crystal at the top glowing bright as ever. Walking forward, she stood at a point not too far from the lake, poking out a hole in the ground with the butt of her staff, the metal bit sinking into the dirt. </p><p>“Sit here.”</p><p>She pointed with her staff, indicating the hole she had just marked out. </p><p>Following her instructions, he went over and sat down on the point, sitting directly on top of the hole, settling cross-legged on the ground. </p><p>Caster looked at him, measuring the distance and dimensions of the magic circle she was going to use. The crystal on the top of her staff glowed as she used it to ‘feel’ out the leylines again, getting a general sense of the directions and magnitude of the flow. </p><p>The magic circle she was going to construct would help Shirou control his mana output, ensuring he didn’t draw out too much power through his Magic Circuits to burn them up, and that if he did do so, he could vent it out of his body safely, into the leyline below them. For this reason, she needed to carefully judge the position of the leyline and directions it was flowing in, to make sure she aligned the magic circle and Shirou properly so he could tap into the ambient energy as well. Thankfully, the lake was a spiritual place that made the conduction of mana easier, helping an amateur such as Shirou manage his mana much more easily. It wasn’t dense to the point of making it easy to overflow either, but was simply more conductive to casting magecraft. </p><p>If his magical energy spilled out with no control, there was no telling what could happen. His summoning was a product of such an accident after all. He’d accidentally summoned Saber with a minuscule portion of his magical energy, and a strong wish in his heart, activating the magic circle that had originally been used for Irisviel to last a little while longer. If he spilled it here, something like attracting wraiths or lesser Phantasmal Beasts was possible. </p><p>“Move a little backwards, and then shift one hand to the left.”</p><p>After making some slight adjustments to Shirou’s position, she started drawing out the magic circle with him as the center, carving the shape with the tip of her staff. Shirou simply sat in the middle, doing his best to not shiver as he waited for her to finish, keeping himself in place so as not to mess up her carving.</p><p>The magic circle wasn’t too big, but there were plenty of details in it, with runes and glyphs that he found completely alien crowding the boundaries, forming a circle around him, and several bigger ones spaced evenly around the perimeter, as well in smaller circles within the overarching one, Several round shapes connected to each other, and he could see Caster digging out some larger shapes as well, her staff glowing with energy as it made the dirt disappear to form the desired shape. </p><p>Caster worked from the inside to the outside, avoiding the problem of accidentally stepping on the parts of the circle, and she finished by sealing the outermost line, the circle containing all the inner carvings. Lowering the top of her staff towards the circle, the crystal within glowing, she inserted her mana to activate the circle she had carved out with her own hands. </p><p>Most of the time, some type of physical substance was required to fill the lines of the circle, like blood, chalk, or liquified gemstones for Rin, in order to transmit the magical energy, in order to conduct the magical energy of the activator. But in this case, Caster’s circle design, coupled with her absurd amount of magical power channeled through the crystal that glowed like an azure star was enough to kickstart the process. </p><p>In a heartbeat, the circle came alive, glowing a deep sapphire around Shirou as he became bathed in blue light, his Magic Circuits suddenly itching within his body. </p><p>“Open your Circuits.”</p><p>He closed his eyes, the hammer striking in his head. </p><p>The moment they opened, he felt like there was a gush of water flowing out of them, energy from within pouring out, only to flow to somewhere even larger, the pressure within him reducing to a mere trickle. It was a harmonisation of scales, the circle tethering the boundaries between him and the leyline. His body grew warmer, resisting the winter chill as energy cycled through his entire being, od and mana running through Circuits, to the circle, and deep into the leylines, then back again.</p><p>“Keep it open! Don’t try to close it any moment!”</p><p>Caster’s words reached him through the curtain of concentration, his head nodding in response to show that he had heard her. </p><p>Seeing that there were no problems, Caster decided to give him the first catalyst he could try Projecting, a weaker one that had the least risk, though there was always a chance that something could go horribly wrong. In her hands, a short sword materialized, golden light forming the shape of a blade a bit short than he arm, a simple cross guard with a leather wrapped around the hilt, the middle of the blade hollow making it look more like a strip of metal was bent into a blade, rather than it having been hammered into the shape of one. The handle also had a strange circular decoration that was shaped like a circle, going all the way until it almost touched the crossguard, creating a shape similar to the symbol of Venus. </p><p>Secace was a sword that harboured a sinister effect when used, but it was also one of the least potent ones out of all her catalysts, and would probably be the easiest to Project, assuming he could do so. As long as he didn’t hold it with the intent of using it, he should be fine. In any case, the power it held was sealed until the user cut themselves with it, the blood serving as a catalyst required to activate it. </p><p>She released her hold on the sword, and it floated over to Shirou, slowly coming to a stop in front of him. </p><p>“You can use this as a test first.”</p><p>Shirou grasped the handle once it came near, and placed it on top of his lap, carefully handling it to avoid cutting himself, all the while keeping his Circuits running. </p><p>The leather grip fit snugly in his hands, and he tentatively touched the flat of the blade, or rather the inner edge of the hollow. His fingers felt the cool steel, brushing against the metal surface as he did his best to ignore the fact that he was holding a legendary weapon from a Heroic Spirit in his hands, focusing on using Structural Grasping to analyze the weapon. </p><p>His mind reached to the sword he was holding in his hands, feeling out the intricacies woven into each fold of steel, the cut of the leather wrapped around the handle, the edge ground and sharpened into it’s deadly state. Every ridge on the handle, every line on the blade, each groove on the cross guard, the metallic bonds holding together the blade and more, almost everything that made Secace Secace was observed and recorded into his mind. </p><p>Of course, there were some things that he missed in his Structural Grasping, such as the history, and the effect it had, as well as how it was made, and the experience of it’s wielders. His mind also failed him, some of the finer details disappearing as he struggled to fully comprehend the information his magecraft was telling him. </p><p>Pushing further, he abandoned the Structural Grasping he was performing, and using the blueprint he had obtained from scanning the weapon, he lifted a hand from Secace and began projecting into his empty hand. </p><p>The information and knowledge flowed into the empty air, shaping a weapon that was designed to be as close to Secace as possible. </p><p>Caster’s eyes widened as she beheld the form shaping within the blue light gathering around Shirou’s hands.</p>
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<a name="section0147"><h2>147. Chapter 147</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 147</p><p>Within that hand, bundles of light gathered, the open palm capturing the energy as it sprang out of his body, the circle amplifying it and maintaining control over his output. </p><p>Mana similar to blue lightning crackled all over him as the light grew larger and larger, the sapphire arcs feeding into the glowing mass in his hands. Orbs of light spontaneously appeared and vanished within his hands, the phantasm of an image forming above his mortal flesh as his hands spasmed, the effort required to project something on the scale of Secace unprecedented for him. It was a big step up from projecting heaters and wrenches in his dingy shed.</p><p>Feeling his entire body start to burn up from the immense amount of energy coursing through his body, he steeled himself against it, keeping his mind and body wholly focused on the task at hand, regulating the energy flowing through his Circuits as well. It was no worse than when he mistakenly made his nerves into Circuits before, the sensation of having a burning iron rod in his spine was something that he wouldn’t be able to forget for the rest of his life. </p><p>Caster looked on in disbelief as she saw the energy bend and twist around his body like lightning, contained by the circle though it was. The formation she had designed and drawn out on the dirt was now lit up in the same neon blue that the energy around him was like, resonating with the magecraft he was trying to perform as it drew out suitable amounts of energy from the leyline below to supplement the pitiful amount of energy he was only able to produce with his newfound Circuits. </p><p>The information about the sword sifted through his mind faster than sand in an hourglass, the grains of knowledge racing through it like a race car drifting through the streets. It felt like his head was going to split at the seams, promising a headache later on after the spell, but for now all he could do was bear it and shove as much information as he could into the image he was creating, copying everything he could onto a blank mold. Pieces of information fractured, unable to be recovered, or they slipped past him, leaving blanks in the image he was trying to create.</p><p>Yet in the end, he was able to form something recognizable, an imperfect sword, but an imitation all the same. </p><p>The lightshow reached a crescendo as Caster felt the leylines surge in energy towards the circle, Shirou giving one last push to make the image into reality. Energy and mana gave way, bending to his will to create the transparent outline of a sword in his outstretched palm, then more energy rushed to fill the container, casting the weapon out of his imagination, supported by what he had learnt from ‘grasping’ Secace. </p><p>A rush of wind blew back Casters bangs, her gloved hands raised up to block the bright flash of light, and then the sudden gust subsided, the darkness of the night reasserting itself save for the gentle glow of the circle that persisted. </p><p>Nestled in Shirou’s open palm, faintly glowing under the clouded moon, was the sword Secace, right above the Secace resting on his lap. </p><p>Caster breath caught in her throat as she saw it, two swords of the same shape and appearance, but deeper than that, with the same Mystery surrounding it. </p><p>Well, she wouldn’t go so far as to exactly say that they had the same amount of Mystery, since she could obviously tell which was real and fake, but to be even recreate a portion of it, even just a tenth, was already an impressive feat for an experienced mage with medium ability, let alone an amateur mages who just had his Circuits opened last night. Opening her mouth, she forced aside her surprise and spoke to Shirou.</p><p>“Can..can I see it?”</p><p>The exhausted Shirou could only nod, lifting the short sword up as she extended her staff, a strong gust of mana laced wind sending the weapon tumbling out of his hands, and into the waiting barrier created to catch it. </p><p>Levitating the barrier closer to herself, she lifted the sword out of the barrier and dispelled it, taking a closer look at the projected Secace. </p><p>The edges, the hollow middle, even the small ridges on the handle just barely peeking out under the leather wrapping around it, everything was exactly the same, appearance wise. Lifting it slightly, she could tell the weight was also the same, or the difference was so small she couldn’t even tell. But the real test was whether it retained its effect. Which was something she couldn’t really test since the effect was also quite dangerous if unleashed, though it wasn’t quite on the level of blowing up the lake like Marmyadose.  </p><p>Still, she could tell it had a certain level of Mystery in it, at least on par with a solidly made Mystic Code that a magus with a decade of experience and training under their belt could create. It also felt solid enough to be used as a physical weapon, as it was meant for. </p><p>Gently, she tapped it against Chastiefol, the staff in her other hand. </p><p>Right away, the spot where she tapped it on chipped away, the blade missing a small piece after she drew it back upon hearing a small ‘chink!’.</p><p>In a matter of seconds, cracks spread across the blade, spider webbing through the entire edge, then it shattered.</p><p>The pieces of the blade fell to the ground, vanishing into the mana it came from in the first place before it hit the dirt. All that was left in her hands was the hilt of the blade, and in the blink of an eye, that was gone too. All that was left was empty air, and a few wisps of blue mana that quickly disappeared like morning dew under the sun. </p><p>Shirou was able to recover enough to look up at the exact same moment that the sword broke, and his face dropped slightly, disappointed at the sword for barely lasting more than a minute.</p><p>“Shirou, I think that this, whatever you’re doing, is definitely the right track for you. I need to perform more tests on you later to figure out how you can do this, but for now let’s take the chance to try and do it again.”</p><p>She could perform divination to check what his origin and alignment was, like how her mentor Merlin had done for her, but she was uncertain if it would work or not. Regardless, it wouldn’t hurt to try. </p><p>For Shirou, he decided it was going to be a long night as he once more closed his eyes and concentrated, touching the sword on his lap and performing Structural Grasping as hard as he could to try and completely fill in the blueprint in his head, covering up the blanks he had last time, dedicated to replicating it down to the last detail.</p>
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<a name="section0148"><h2>148. Chapter 148</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 148</p><p>It was useless.</p><p>No matter how much he ‘grasped’, how many times he tried, he just couldn’t make a copy that truly resembled the real thing, instead of just being a shallow image that only looked similar on the surface. And even then, there were some very small details that could be found if one scrutinized the object closely enough, though for Caster, it was hard to tell at a single glance. </p><p>To add to that, he could barely last through four times of projecting Secace, the catalyst sword that Caster possessed with the least Mystery, and also the least complicated in design, making it the easiest one for Shirou to project. But only doing so one time was enough to make him sweat and pant like he had run ten miles. After 4 times, it was like his body was on fire, sweat coating every inch of his skin as he felt parts of his body turning number and number. The magic circle just couldn’t offset the lack of ability he had, the paltry Magic Circuits in his body already straining to the limit with each successive Projection he did with Secace. </p><p>He shook his head, doing his best to stay conscious as a splitting headache throbbed, his brain feeling like it was expanding and shrinking with each heartbeat, hammering away at the walls of his skull. Blinking his eyes, he felt a persistent itch in his eyes, the world blurring every time he blinked, with his right eye sore that he just kept it closed now. His breathing was slow and deep, each one releasing a cloud of mist into the cold winter air as he gratefully breathed in fresh air into his starving lungs. </p><p>Caster frowned as his last copy simply crumbled away in her hands without her even doing anything to it.</p><p>As far as she could tell, there hadn’t been any improvement between his first and last Projection. In fact, it had gotten even worse, as the fatigue gripped his body with each copy made, the od within his body drained more and more. If they went any further, it was likely that something bad would happen, and she didn’t want to push that far.</p><p>Sighing, she went and slipped a capsule out of her pouch, the depths shimmering and iridescent blue as swirls of mana currents stirred within the azure pill-like container. Walking over to the edge of the circle, she reached the spot where Shirou was facing, planting the tip of her staff right on the glowing edge. Lifting her hand, she aimed the capsule above Shirou’s head as the crystal on top of the staff lit up when it touched the circle, her thumb flicking the capsule into the air as it spun in an arc above Shirou.</p><p>“Burst!”</p><p>The capsule exploded into a shower of blue droplets that rained down on Shirou, though he felt nothing when they touched him. The droplets dripped within the circle, the ones that fell on him seemingly absorbed through his clothing into his body, sinking through his skin with ease. The circle glowed with greater intensity as it felt the influx of new mana, and then Caster directed the energy towards Shirou, restoring his od, replenishing the dried up reserves in his body. </p><p>Normally, it was difficult for magi to transmit mana to one another, owing to the Circuits tendency to naturally resist foreign magical energy, making it a difficult task to successfully give mana to others. It often required skin-to-skin contact, exchange of ingestible substances containing mana such as blood, saliva or jewels, and also tantric rituals. For Caster though, she had designed the circle with this in mind, and by indirectly suffusing the circle with mana to then circulate it through Shirou’s body, using the circle as the medium, she could help restore his strength without much resistance. In addition, her blessings also came into effect, soothing his body, and they helped alleviate the pain in his body as well, though it didn’t completely go away. </p><p>When she judged he had recovered enough, she pulled the plug, the magic circle dimming until it vanished entirely, leaving behind only lines and squiggles drawn on the dirt. With a wave of Chastiefol, the dirt shifted, covering up any trace of the formation she had drawn. The Secace that had been resting in his lap for the entire duration of his trials disappeared as she summoned it back into her hands, and then deposited where it belonged, along with the other catalysts she used.</p><p>“Let’s go back now. You need to rest.”</p><p>Saying so, she walked over to Shirou and offered her hand, pulling him up to his feet and holding him steady, a wave of nausea washing over him even as his legs turned numb, causing him to almost collapse on top of Caster, though she probably wouldn’t budge with her strength as a Servant. </p><p>She managed to catch in time, propping him upright as he head dipped low, his breathing coming in short bursts, a harsh gulping of air as he closed his eyes to ward of the feeling. It passed in a moment, and he straightened back up, though Casters hands remained on his shoulders. </p><p>“Hey, take you time to recover ok?”</p><p>His legs were still numb, but he wouldn’t let that stop him, and he did his best to ignore the throbbing in his head, though her mana cycling in the circle had helped to lessen the pain.</p><p>“Thanks, but I’m fine now. Let’s go.”</p><p>His smile was tad strained, but he walked forward, walking as straight as he could so Caster would believe him. </p><p>Looking at him being stubborn, she couldn’t help but sigh again. Looks like he could be troublesome too. She followed closely behind him, ready to catch him if he tripped or staggered.</p><p>When they reached the temple, Caster and Shirou went back to their own rooms, bidding each other a good night. </p><p>Back in his own room, Shirou slid down against the wall as he stared at Saber, sleeping peacefully within the futon on the floor. It was hard to imagine that just hours ago, this beautiful teenage girl was fighting for her life against enemies from legends, pitting her deadly skills honed on many battlefields against opponents of equal worth. What could he as a Master do? All he could do was watch, behind their backs, the three Seals on his hands the only things he could provide, and serve as an anchor for their existence. Other than that, he was virtually useless.</p><p>Would he ever stop being a burden to them, become able to save other people like his father saved him?</p><p>He stared at his hands, wondering what kind of effort it would take to become an ally of justice that could save everyone. </p><p>Maybe, he would spend just a bit more time practicing his magecraft. </p><p>Even though it was a dubious prospect of whether it would even help him at all, at the very least, it eased his mind as he stealthily slipped out of the room, picking up sticks in the forest around the temple, then going to a shed on the temple grounds to reinforce them. Sweat beaded his head as the branches cracked in his hands from failed reinforcement, the od within his body something he struggled to control, filling the empty spaces within the structure with too much mana each time. </p><p>On the other side of the temple, Caster frowned as she stared at the kitchen knife that Shirou had projected, still left on the table where it was, while Kuzuki slept on the futon close by, breathing evenly through his nose, his face a picture of calm. </p><p>Why hadn’t it disappeared yet?</p>
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<a name="section0149"><h2>149. Chapter 149</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 149</p><p>Sakura rested in the bathtub, the water covering her all the way up to her collarbone, the water warm and inviting, caressing her skin when she made it ripple. Lifting a hand, she stared at the discolored patches visible beneath the pale skin on her hands. Though she couldn’t see it right now, she also knew that there were angry red lines running across her face, disturbing the beauty of her face.</p><p>The battles that Rider was embroiled in earlier pushed her body to the limit, and her mana reserves were pushed hard, resulting in the worms within her body growing agitated, almost ending up in a feeding frenzy. If it wasn’t for Shinji making the medicine to calm them down, she would have been eaten from the inside out, a shell of flesh with the insides becoming a feast for the familiars.</p><p>She could still feel some of them wriggling inside the more painful points in her body, making their presence known with the discomfort they brought to their host. Despite how much she wanted to be rid of them, she knew it wasn’t that easy to remove the organisms, so closely bonded to her after years of this parasitic relationship that they had essentially fused and become one with her. If she wanted them completely removed, she would need someone with expertise in surgery and exorcism, since they infested both the physical and spiritual aspect of her body. For somebody to be an expert in both fields was extremely rare, and she doubted she would ever meet someone qualified to proclaim themselves as one. </p><p>Placing her hand back down into the water, she rested her head against the back of the tub, staring at the ceiling as her thoughts drifted around like the bubbles on the surface of the water. </p><p>Rider was grievously injured while fighting Assassin, and she probably wouldn’t be able to fight for at least a day in the state she was in. She could feel the drain on her mana, the connection to Rider weaker than usual as the Servant floated between a conscious and unconscious state while healing, though the thread of energy between the two was still going strong with how the mana Rider needed to recuperate being siphoned from Sakura. Reaching next to her, her hands closed around what looked like a wine bottle. Sakura poured some liquid out of the bottle and drank it, the metallic taste of blood running down her throat as she swallowed the pungent drink. </p><p>She felt mana from the blood enter her body and drop into her reservoirs of energy, refuelling her and keeping the worm's hunger at bay. </p><p>Settling down the bottle on the tray next to her, she licked her lips, now cherry red, doing her best to not waste a single drop and prevent the bath from becoming contaminated as well.</p><p>How was Senpai doing right now?</p><p>It had been some time since she had visited him, or his residence. While Taiga had kept nagging her at school to visit, since she was lonely and couldn’t mooch of their cooking anymore, she had only replied that it would be inconvenient for both him and Senpai, and Taiga had left it at that. </p><p>In reality, they were both participants in a battle to the death, a competition between magus for an all-mighty wish.</p><p>She just didn’t understand how he had become a Master. It made no sense. Surely there were better candidates for the war than him? He was just a normal person after all, and though she knew that he practiced magecraft, it was on such an amateur level that she could barely consider him as one. On some morning when she found him slumped on the floor of his shed, having fallen asleep after practicing, she couldn’t help but smile at how cute it was that he diligently practiced so much everyday, even if it was just basic magecraft. She could feel him practice in his shed at night too, when she stayed later than usual to deal with housework or wash the dishes. </p><p>If she knew how he made his Circuits, she would probably have had a heart attack.</p><p>She had never approached him about it though, so senpai didn’t know she knew, or about her role in the Matou family. To him, she was just an ordinary girl, a kouhai that had grown close to him in the past few years. She had little desire to expose herself either, and indeed was glad that he didn’t know about her….dirty secrets. As long as she could remain pure in front of him, she was happy. Anything more was impossible.</p><p>Still, it would be nice to visit him someday. She stared at the ceiling, mist from the hot water obscuring it, turning it a hazy white. Where was he again? She took a moment to recall where he had relocated, since he seemed to have an alliance with another Master. Oh right, Ryuudou Temple. That was where he lived now, along with Caster and Kuzuki Souichirou, based on what Rider had observed the night Ruler had appeared at the school. </p><p>Perhaps she could go visit the day after, when Rider was back and there was no school. The surface of the water lapped at the white porcelain walls of the tub as she shifted her legs, long and slender, to rest her thighs on the left side of the tub. Her purple hair spread out, floating on the surface of the water like strands of seaweed. Languidly, she turned her head towards the doorway.</p><p>An old man entered her field of vision.</p><p>Water splashed out of the tub as she stood up in the tub, ignoring the fact that he could see her naked, and she backed against the wall, the cold tiles on her back and the lack of warm water around her causing her to shiver, but her eyes refused to leave him, her palms pressed flat against the wall as if trying to push it over for her to escape.</p><p>Tapping his cane on the bathroom tiles, Matou Zouken walked closer and stared up at his granddaughter with beady black eyes, his mouth curved into what resembled a smile, the loose skin around crinkling with numerous lines. </p><p>“I trust you’re doing well, Sakura?”</p>
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<a name="section0150"><h2>150. Chapter 150</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 150</p><p>Sakura, fully clothed and fresh from the bath, started packing her clothes into a small suitcase, getting ready to head over to Ryuudou Temple in the next few days. Gingerly, she placed several vials of medicine that she would need to inhibit the worms inside her, making sure to pack them securely so they didn’t break, with fabric wrapping around them in several layers to protect the fragile containers.</p><p>If her grandfather ordered her to do so, there was little she could do to resist. </p><p>In that bathroom, while she was taking a bath, he had come to visit her. She had received no warning at all, and Rider wasn’t there to face him either.</p><p>“I trust you’re doing well, Sakura?”</p><p>Sakura made no response, only staring at him as she pressed her back against the wall.</p><p>“I see that your ‘knight’ is currently indisposed of for now. In that case, why don’t we have a chat while she isn’t here, hmm? It’s difficult to find a chance to talk with you while she’s around.”</p><p>He seemed out of place, standing there on the white bathroom tiles and surrounded by mist from the hot water, almost like a creepy old man who had been caught peeping on a teenage girl. His black eyes showed no emotion though, and Sakura wasn’t going to be calling the police on him anytime soon.</p><p>Seeing her unwillingness to talk to him, he sighed and continued speaking.</p><p>“Let me be frank. I want you to go to Ryuudou Temple and stay there with Shirou Emiya and the Master of Caster. I don’t care how you do it, so long as you manage to secure a place to stay there for the duration of this War.”</p><p>After seeing her still frozen place there, he spoke up again.</p><p>“Do you understand?”</p><p>Slowly, Sakura came to her senses, realizing he was here to command her. She peeled herself away from the wall, his words finally registering in her mind. Bowing her head, she accepted it, her silky, wet hair hanging down in loose strands as they hid her face.</p><p>“I understand.”</p><p>A skittering sound followed her meek voice, though nothing in the bathroom moved, with only a slight ripple under the fabric of Zouken’s robes.</p><p>His mouth moved once more, rubbery skin and lips forming shapes, proper words coming out even though there were no teeth in the oral cavity, darkness shadowing the insides of the throat.</p><p>“Good. I will see you some time later then.”</p><p>His cane tapped on the floor as he walked to the door, the door unlocking by itself and swinging open, letting the cooler air flow into the bathroom, the wind caressing Sakura’s skin and making her shiver again. </p><p>“Ah, I’ll also leave a gift for you to bring to them.”</p><p>With that, the door closed behind him, his form already beginning to lose shape as the door hid him from sight. The last thing Sakura saw was his neck bending to a ridiculous angle, the robes fluttering and shaking wildly, then the door closed.</p><p>A full minute passed before she sank into the bathtub, the water once more embracing her, though it was cooler than before now, giving her little warmth as she buried her face in her knees in a fetal position.</p><p>Resisting him was futile. All she could do was obey his wishes. Kariya, Shinji even Rider. None of them would be able to protect her when it truly mattered. The memory of the man with bleached hair sinking into the pit of worms, his face wearing a look of satisfaction that was utterly out of place as he became food for the familiars infesting every corner of that underground room. The old man standing next to her only laughed at the sight, his appearance unchanged, a monster of longevity.</p><p>*kok*</p><p>“Sakura, I’ve brought the medicine for you, you can take it after you get out of the bath. It’s on the dressing table.”</p><p>Shinji’s voice shook her out of her reverie, making her lift her head out of the bath, her hair dripping water as streams of it flowed back into the bath.</p><p>“T-thank you, onii-san.”</p><p>He grunted in acknowledgement, then she heard his steps leave, growing more distant until they ceased entirely. </p><p>Lying back down in the bath, it was a while before she came out.</p><p>Shinji walked back down the stairs, all the while wondering if he should have said something to Sakura. He was about to inform her about the medicine when he had heard voices coming out of the bathroom. It didn’t take long for him to recognize the voices in the bathroom, and he was frozen in place as he eavesdropped onto their conversation, silently listening to what they said. As they talked, he tried to command his feet to move, to just knock on the door, but his body refused to budge an inch. When Zouken came out, he automatically took a step back, but Zouken didn’t even give him a single glance. </p><p>Instead, the old man only dissolved into the disgusting familiars that made him what he was, the stream of insects flowing past his feet as they exited the room and left for unknown whereabouts. Feeling the slimy bodies brush past his toes, something kept him locked in place, his spine rigid and his face taut, but to his credit he didn’t make any further reactions. He waited until it was over, then went over to Sakura’s door, knocking and talking to her like nothing had happened. </p><p>While he didn’t exactly like Sakura, there was no love lost between him and Zouken as well, and if he could kill the old man, he would. Unfortunately, deep down he knew it was far beyond him, and he was powerless in front of the patriarch of the family that had existed since its founding. All he could do was perhaps console Sakura, but even that, he was unable to do. The words stuck in his throat, and he simply left without another word. Would she really want to hear the empty words of someone who used to rape her weekly, if not daily?</p>
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<a name="section0151"><h2>151. Chapter 151</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 151</p><p>The connection between Servant and Master was a deep and intimate bond, allowing the two to hear each other's thoughts and emotions if not careful. This was especially true when the human Masters slept, all their defenses lowered as they rested their body and mind. Unless the Master or Servant specifically set up measures to deal with it, it was all too easy for Masters to forge a link to their Servants in their dreams and take a glimpse of their past in these moments of unconsciousness, affording them more knowledge on the Servants history and identity.</p><p>For Emiya Shirou, right after he passed out on the futon from the fatigue of the battles, practicing Projection with Caster, then finally sneaking off to practice by himself, he found himself opening his eyes in an unfamiliar landscape. </p><p>Grasslands, rolling off into the horizon as far as the eye could see, while on the right a forest close by cut off the open expanse, oak and sycamore trees clustering around each other to form a great family covering a sizable plot of land. The sun lay hidden behind a bank of clouds, though the tip of it peaked out above them to shed a small measure of light on the land. He could also hear the sounds of cows mooing, and when he turned around, he found himself next to a cluster of hamlets, with rickety wooden fences of crude sticks tied to together holding in black and white cows, and more animals placed in different pens surrounding the village as well. </p><p>The odour of animals and refuse hit his nose, but he only wrinkled it slightly. The mixed smell of burning flesh, ash and melting steel was much worse. </p><p>“What...is this?”</p><p>Had he been kidnapped? Was this the work of an enemy Master? Maybe he had died in his sleep and reincarnated into another world?</p><p>These thoughts raced through his mind as he tried to figure out what had happened. With magecraft involved, there were many explanations possible.</p><p>The sound of footsteps alerted him to the presence of other people, and when he searched for the source of the sound, he found a man, who was obviously not Japanese, with dirty brown hair and blue eyes, walking over to the cows. The clothing he wore was far from modern, and Shirou could tell that it had been patched over in several places as well, though the thread work was done well. He leaned on the fence and stared at the cows, seemingly inspecting them, his eyes running over their bodies as he checked for anything out of place. After a while, he nodded and muttered to himself, then walked away. </p><p>“Ojii-san? Uh, Sir? Hello?”</p><p>Shirou didn’t understand how he didn’t notice him when he was just staring at the man a few feet away, but at least there were other people here. With nothing else to do, he decided to follow the man. </p><p>The man proceeded to check all the livestock near the village, then returned to the village, going back into his house, the wattle and daub walls and thatched roof serving as his modest home.</p><p>As for Shirou, he could only stand outside of the house, unsure of what to do. Should he knock on the door and try to enter? Or should he continue exploring the place and try to find out what was going on? </p><p>He didn’t know where this was, or what time it was, or who these people were. His face twisted into a frown as his confusion took over, and then abruptly he realized that he should try performing magecraft. It would help to know if he could do it or not.</p><p>Stretching out his hand, he pictured the kitchen knife, the hammer of a gun clicking in his head. </p><p>“Tr-”</p><p>It didn’t work. </p><p>The hammer of the gun clicked, but he couldn’t feel his Circuits firing up. The now-familiar sensation of warmth and slight tingling, as well as a small amount of pain that he had naturally adapted to wasn’t there at all. </p><p>So magecraft was out of the question. </p><p>Lowering his hand, he sat on a tree stump nearby, propping his chin on his hands.</p><p>He’d also noticed that he didn’t feel hungry, or sleepy, with the temperature feeling odd as well. He felt that he should be feeling the heat from the sunlight, as well as whatever the local temperature was, but all he could sense was a sort of pleasant warmth. In addition, his body felt lighter than usual as well.</p><p>As he was thinking, a cart rolled up into the village, and he turned to look at it. </p><p>Two donkeys plodded into the village along well worn dirt roads, a man with a simple tunic and pants, along with a pair of heavily stained and worn boots driving the cart with the reins in his hands. The back of the cart was covered with cloth, protecting the contents of the cart from exposure to the elements.</p><p>One of the hamlets opened, and another man came out to greet the new arrival into the village. He had brown hair similar to the first person Shirou had seen earlier, and had a slightly crooked nose, with a few missing teeth as well. </p><p>Also did they not know the concept of baths? Out of the three people Shirou had seen, two of them had looked worse than the homeless people he sometimes gave food to as volunteer service. Only the driver of the cart looked somewhat normal to him. </p><p>“Yer early ta-day lad. Got sumfin hap’nin at the cas’l?</p><p>“Yes, we’ll be havin a guests la’er today. Got ta stock up on food for em, ya know the lord doesn’t want them tae go hungry.”</p><p>“Ye, Suh Ector don’t like le’in down his gests. Well then, lemme star’ loadin the goods.”</p><p>Shirou could somehow understand what they were speaking even though the forms their mouths made didn’t match what he heard. They also had a difficult accent, but he was able to somewhat parse through the dialogue to get the gist of what they were saying. Also, judging by their mouth shapes, he guessed they were probably speaking English. He was no expert lip reader, but it looked similar to how Taiga spoke when she used English. Was he in Britain, or America?</p><p>As they were talking, the cloth on the cart rustled slightly. Slowly, a corner of the sheet lifted up, unnoticed by the two adults, and then something slipped out of the cart, exiting the vehicle to crouch behind the wheel of the cart stealthily, hidden from sight. </p><p>Only Shirou, positioned on the other side of the cart, noticed the young blonde boy crouching down next to the wheel as the two men entered the hamlet to get whatever they needed to load onto the cart. As soon as they entered the door, he dashed out of cover and towards the edges of the village, short legs pumping as fast as they could go. </p><p>He didn’t seem to have noticed Shirou either, and seeing something so suspicious, he couldn’t leave it be. He dashed after the kid, following after him as he sprinted.</p><p>Oddly, he didn’t feel winded as he ran, and it felt like he was floating slightly. He also noticed that he seemed to be going more than his normal sprinting speed, and yet the kid was still ahead of him. He sure was fast.</p><p>The boy ran past the animals and out the village, heading straight to the forest nearby. Only when he crossed the boundary of the forest did he start to slow down, secure behind the barrier of trees hiding him from sight. Panting heavily, the boy kept slowing down until he stopped at a tree, panting hard as he leaned against the oak, sweat rolling down his head in fat drops. </p><p>All the while, Shirou kept pace, watching him as he came to a stop. </p><p>It wasn’t long before the boy resumed breathing normally, leaving the tree as he stopped leaning against it. </p><p>Shirou hadn’t really noticed it while he was running, but the boy’s features were exceptionally exquisite. The cheekbones and chin were covered by baby fat, as he was still young, but already he could tell just from the subtle contours of his face that he would grow up to become a most stunning figure. The clear emerald eye and short blond hair of striking gold drew the eye, and his skin was unnaturally fair when compared to the three men he had seen earlier. </p><p>Jumping into the air, the boy let out a cheer.</p><p>“Yaayyy! Now I don’t have to stay with those guests anymore! I can practice for as long as I want, and no one will bother me, ever! Father and Kay won’t be able to find me, I’m sure.”</p><p>Shirou paused upon hearing him speak. Wasn’t that a girl’s voice? It seemed a tad too high pitched for a male. Perhaps he was mistaken about their gender. Still, it wasn’t abnormal for boys to have higher-pitched voices when they were young too. The only way to know for sure was to strip him or her. </p><p>He obviously wasn’t going to do something like that though, and in any case, he wasn’t sure if he could even do so. For now, he’d just tentatively call the child a her. Bowing his head, he silently apologized to her if he’d guessed wrong. </p><p>“I, Artoria Pendragon, will become King of this forest and polish my skills right here. Watch me, my loyal knights!”</p><p>Saying so, she drew the wooden sword at her waist and started slashing at the air. </p><p>Her audience of a couple squirrels and birds simply stared at her while she did so, plus Shirou who smiled at her innocent roleplaying. It felt like himself a long time ago when he pretended to be a hero saving others. Kiritsugu often played the bad guy with him, when he wasn’t lying in bed, and Taiga also chipped in occasionally as well, though it was probably more for spending time with Kiritsugu.</p><p>After an exuberant display of swinging and hacking with abandon, she lowered the sword, closing her eyes and then opening them again. </p><p>“Alright, let’s start seriously now.”</p><p>Her feet settled into a proper stance, legs spread apart shoulder length, with one foot slightly in front of the other, knees bent to lower her center of gravity. Clutching the handle of the sword with both hands, in a Western style grip that favoured having the hands in a fist-like grip wrapping near the guard and next to the pommel, unlike in kendo, where the hands were spaced further apart, with the left at the end of the hilt, serving as a leverage point for more force, while the right remained near the guard in a delicate grasping position than the left for control and direction. </p><p>Breathing in and out in regular intervals timed with her sword swings, she practiced, drilling into her body each stroke and slash. </p><p>Besides her, Shirou watched in silence, marveling at the dedication to the craft and skill she had honed up to now, a strength that she had cultivated for one purpose, and one purpose only. </p><p>To become king.</p>
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<a name="section0152"><h2>152. Chapter 152</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 152</p><p>It felt like only an hour, but as he watched the girl swing her sword, the sun had already started to set.</p><p>It took him some time after hearing her name before the gears finally started turning in his brain, realizing that his own Servant had in fact the same name as the girl. His denseness was bordering on a level of hopelessness. </p><p>After that though, he managed to connect the dots, remembering Caster’s words about the bond between Servant and Master, and her offhandedly mentioning the possibility of special dreams that could be experienced by both Master and Servant, if the Servants chose to sleep to conserve energy. He was most likely currently in one such dream, with a younger Saber in front of his eyes as he most likely lived part of her memory in his sleep. </p><p>Now that he understood his situation, he couldn’t help but see the similarities between the young girl in front of him and Saber. The blonde hair was a dead giveaway of course, but the soft features of her face, the way she looked focused while practicing, the arched eyebrows and lips compressed into a thin line were just like Saber when she fought or practiced with him. In addition, the thin strands of hair stuck together like a monument standing straight up from the center of her head was also there as well, a mystery of trichology. He had no idea how the ahoge even existed, defying gravity and biology the way it did. </p><p>With the knowledge that it was a dream, he simply sat down and watched, admiring Saber’s single-minded determination in practice as it went on from dawn to dusk. She performed footwork drills, technique training, muscle and cardio exercises, as well as sparring with invisible opponents. Though a normal person her age would have collapsed at any point, along with self-inflicted training injuries, she pressed on instead, her body enduring everything she forced onto it and being no worse for wear. </p><p>When the sun finally began to set, Saber stopped swinging her sword after the last drill, leaning the wood shaped into a weapon on the bark of a tree nearby. </p><p>Sweat stained her brow, the strands of golden hair sticking to her skin with flushed temples and cheeks. Her clothes showed the stains of labour as well, wet patches visible all across her tunic as her breathing came rough and short. Tired, she leaned over, putting her hands on her knees as she stared at the floor, recovering her energy.</p><p>He had never seen Saber actually out of breath, panting and winded like that, so it was something new for him to see. The only time she had really seemed human was when she was wounded in battle, instead of being a spirit that he couldn’t even touch no matter how many times he tried during his time sparring with her. And while she was eating. Seeing this younger her struggle with practice was nice too, like how he had under her tutelage, with a strange sense of satisfaction seeing this after he had been beaten black and blue by her merciless strikes.</p><p>It didn’t take long for her to regain enough strength, and after properly securing the things she had brought along, she jumped into a stream nearby for a quick wash. </p><p>Of course, Shirou left her in private and went to watch some leaves shake in the wind. He wasn’t a pervert after all, even though this was only a dream, the only person who would know being him. </p><p>That is, until he heard a shrill cry from the stream. </p><p>Breaking into a run from his waiting spot, he ran over to see what was going on. </p><p>Only to see a squat, hairy little man gripping the young Saber’s clothes in his hands, swinging them around in the air and laughing, while she yelled at it, an indignant blush in full bloom across her face. </p><p>“You damn boggart! Give me back my clothes, or I’ll kill you!”</p><p>Waving a fist at the magical being, she glared with enough heat to melt steel, the boggart feeling a shiver run down its spine as she slogged through the shallow waters of the stream to reach the boggart. </p><p>With one last nervous laugh, it ran off, the clothes still firmly in its grasp. </p><p>All the while, Shirou stared at them, open-mouthed. On an unrelated note, his mind unconsciously recorded every last feature of Saber's body, though he was unaware of it.</p><p>Thus began a long night in the land of dreams.</p><p>With a roar of frustration that was out of place coming from a slender girl like her, she ran off into the dark woods, with her bare feet on the dirt, blonde hair bouncing with every step. The boggart hadn’t snatched the wooden sword, so she grabbed that as she ran past it, giving chase to the creature with vengeance burning in her eyes. A snarl graced her face when she ran past where Shirou had been spectating everything, and her pale back quickly vanished into the darkness as she jumped around trees and through bushes to catch the clothes thief. </p><p>He regained his senses as she disappeared into the forest, desperately running after her so he didn’t lose her in the dimly lit forest, with only the moonlight piercing through the canopy of trees offering any illumination for him. Then a cloud passed over it, and the forest turned pitch dark, like a candle was snuffed out in a room with no windows. Plunged into darkness, Shirou stopped in place, helpless and unsure. </p><p>Then in the blink of an eye, he was back by Saber’s side, the girl once again panting, but this time from chasing the boggart instead of training. She clearly hadn’t caught it yet as she was still unclothed, with Shirou turning away again once he realized her continued state of undress. Her feet were caked with dirt and scratched by the twigs and roots stretching across the ground, the bottom of her feet brown and caked with dirt, a far cry from her fair skin. Her body also sported several bruises and scratches from crashing around with abandon, earning her nicks and knocks against the bushes and tree trunks. </p><p>She appeared to be at the end of her tether as she leaned against a tree, the practice sword loosely held in her grasp as it knocked against the tree bark.</p><p>For Shirou, he just wanted to comfort the girl, since it looked like she was on the verge of crying from the frustration of losing the boggart, and also being left naked in the night. Though her running heated her up, the sweat and water from bathing earlier quickly stole away her heat, making hypothermia a real danger in the cold night as she started to sneeze, the tips of her extremities turning pink from the temperature drop. If she kept on like this, sickness from exposure was bound to occur to her.</p><p>Shirou being the person he was, took off his shirt and tried to drape it on her to cover her body, but it felt like she didn’t even exist, passing through her body until it dropped on the ground. When Shirou tried to touch her, his hand went through her and touched the solid bark of the tree. Picking his shirt up from the ground, he found that it was also completely clean, with no dirt, leaves or insects clinging to it. </p><p>Unable to do anything at all, he could only sit down and watch as she sniffled against the bark of the tree, wrapping her arms around herself in a desperate attempt to stave off the dropping temperature.</p><p>What should I do?</p><p>She had been specifically warned to not run off before the event, since she needed to be there to greet the guests and do important things with them, but she just didn’t want to. Though Sir Ector and Kay both told her that it was necessary for her to learn how to interact with others through the event, especially as a female, she still thought her time would be better spent training her skill in fighting. A king could only lead her kingdom if she was the strongest right? If she couldn’t claim victory on the battlefield, then no matter how good she was with people, she still wouldn’t be able to free them from the foreign invaders and protect the people from any threats that endangered them.</p><p>That said, to have ended up like this was something she hadn’t expected at all. Her plan to spend a day honing her strength ended up with her naked and shivering in the night, alone and lost. Some future king she would turn out to be. Was she going to die of the cold here, far away from her family and friends? Bitterly, she wondered what Merlin would say if he saw her in this condition. She hadn’t known him for long, but the magus, if he actually was one as he claimed to be, would definitely be laughing and rolling around on the ground if he saw her like this. Her cheeks grew red as she thought of his insufferable visage, that half-smirk that he always wore, along with an air of light arrogance that seemed to tease everyone around him. </p><p>Then it hit her. Hadn’t Merlin said she could wield magecraft as well? Though he hadn’t taught any spells, he had at the very least shown her how to turn on the switch to her energy source for casting magecraft, like learning how to stoke a fire in a forge before being taught how to craft tools. During the time she successfully did so, she had felt incredibly warm, and her body grew hotter and hotter until she was sweating buckets in the cold, sunless morning. Merlin had said it was natural, especially in her case, but she didn’t really understand his meaning. Still, if it could keep her warm, she could always give it a try. </p><p>Standing up properly from the tree trunk, she did as the Magus of Flowers taught her, feeling the trigger inside of her that needed to be activated. </p><p>Shirou blinked as she stopped hugging herself, her face calming down as she closed her eyes, placing a hand on her chest and falling into a state of meditation. </p><p>Ordered by King Uther to gift his heir with a special trait in order to raise the hero that would save Britain, Merlin worked his magic, and in the end Artoria was born. Embedded in her body, woven into the fibers of her soul, the strength of a dragon resided in her heart. With a Magic Circuit far beyond even what other mages of the time had, let alone modern mages, she was a monster that rivaled even Morgan le Fay, who had inherited the Mystery that was thought to have disappeared in this transitory age. </p><p>Instead of a single Circuit, it was more accurate to say it was a massive Core.</p><p>Touching the great furnace burning in her body, she hesitated a moment. She remembered when she had first tried to access this latent power lying within her, when Merlin gave her first few lessons in magecraft and the dormant power she possessed. When she had successfully opened the gates, she felt she was lit on fire, magma pulsing through her veins, her body about to spontaneously combust. It was only with the guidance and direct assistance of her mentor's magecraft that she had managed to get it under control and shut it off, but even now the memory still stayed with her. Her hands trembled a bit as her heart palpitated, her fear of her own power still fresh in her memory. It had felt like she would explode at any moment if she made the slightest mistake, and she might very well have done so without Merlin at her side. </p><p>In the short time since then, she had improved though, and if she died to exposure later on, she would surely regret not trying this. She could try to find people or the village, but it was unlikely, with how large the forest was, and the lack of visible landmarks for her to see. In the end, she was more likely to get even more lost, perhaps vanishing into the forest permanently. And there was no telling if there were more malevolent creatures lurking within than the relatively harmless prank that the boggart had pulled, though it was still an extreme inconvenience. </p><p>Her resolve solidified, her mental hands reaching out to come into contact with the core. Naturally, for a furnace that large, an ignition spark of equal measure was required. Luckily, she had been well-rested and fed before coming to the forest, and even after a day of hard training, she still had enough energy to kickstart the process. Thrusting the metaphorical key into the ignition, she swung the energy she had like a sword onto the hard shell preventing the furnace from activating, cracking it and breaking the bonds that restrained her Magic Core. </p><p>“Gu-GAAHH!!!”</p><p>Her scream echoed as Shirou bolted upright, standing and clenching his fist as he stared at her writhing form on the ground, having collapsed the moment the energy started coursing through her body. Desperately he reached out to her, his fingers stretching towards her as he prayed that he could touch her, but first his fingernails, then his fingers, and finally his whole hand passed through, reinforcing the fact that he was merely an observer. </p><p>Bright lights strobed in her eyes, the blood rushing to her brain as she felt somehow light, her mind aware that her body was in pain and burning up, her mouth releasing shrill screams as she rolled and thrashed on the ground, yet it felt distant as the pain became so bad that her brain disconnected from her flesh, easing the sensations overrunning her nerves and the flames burning her from the inside out. A prismatic orb the color of rainbows flashing omnidirectionally, spreading golden light circulated through the every vein and fiber of her body. </p><p>“Will you fail just like that?”</p><p>A familiar voice whispered in her ear, even though by all rights she should be too incapacitated by the pain to notice anything else. The slight taunting tone, teasing and annoying at the same time, was hard to mistake though. It was definitely him. </p><p>“A king faces trials throughout their life, and one must overcome them, as befits a king.”</p><p>Once more, the voice echoed in her hazy mind, the pain shutting down parts of her body as the void beckoned her mind, the desire to escape the torment egging her on to slip into unconsciousness, to give up the ghost and rest. </p><p>For Shirou, he saw her struggling body start to weaken as her limbs moved more sluggishly, her arms no longer flailing like she was drowning. More worryingly though, was the fact that her entire body was glowing, and it was growing more intense with every second. In fact, he could also feel a slight temperature difference, a faint warmth touching his cheeks, unlike the faint coolness from before. Kneeling there, staring at her glowing body, he could only grit his teeth and watch. </p><p>Then flickers of orange light caught his attention. In front of his eyes, the leaves and twigs lying near her body burst into flame. The dirt beneath her dried out, cracking and losing it’s deep brown color like clay above a fire.</p><p>I just...can’t hold on. </p><p>Her glazed eyes slowly slid shut, the eyelids concealing her green eyes as she glowed brighter and brighter, an illumination that rivaled the moon in the sky as the forest bathed in golden light.</p>
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<a name="section0153"><h2>153. Chapter 153</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 153</p><p>In an era where modern science slowly supplanted the system of magic, the widespread nature of humanity overturning the mystery that used to proliferate in every corner of the world, Mystery was slowly dying out. In the Common Era of mankind, god, beasts and magic was considered to be a falsehood, a legend with little substance beyond that of a story. Modern magi were no longer able to obtain energy directly from the Root like those from the Age of Gods, forced to rely on the od and mana remaining in the world. </p><p>The gods, severely injured by Sefar, then betrayed by their creation Gilgamesh, went from being able to physically walking the land to only being able to possess suitable human bodies, and then finally transforming into Divine Spirits and retreating into the Reverse Side of the World, with the majority of Phantasmal Beasts and Mystery receding into the same layer of the World, a place where the rules from the Age of Gods still held true. </p><p>Barred from the Root, with the laws of physics and science taking the place of mystery, the Five Magics were created, that which was capable of reaching the Root, or had already done so. The Earth twisted and changed to suit the species of humanity, a foundation of science built up from the Greeks to modern scientists like Einstein and Bohrs. By shifting the perception of the masses to believe in science instead of mystery, the majority of humanity became convinced that science was indeed true, with the proof of experiments backing them. Galileo’s observations of motion, Darwin's theory of evolution, Aristotle's elemental theory, humanity built up a framework starting from basic observations of ordinary life and daily phenomena, and from there built up a sprawling mass of principles and facts that were supported with hard evidence, calculations and experiments. </p><p>In time, humanity could surpass Gaia itself and reach for the stars, potentially outliving the planet that had spawned them.</p><p>Back to Saber though, her time was an age where Mystery had yet to completely fade, though it was the beginning of the Common Era. It could be said that King Arthur’s age was the final echoes of the Age of Gods, where Mystery still remained prevalent for one last time, before it breathed its last and disappeared to the Reverse Side of the World. The boggart was proof of that, a Phantasmal Beast that was so very rarely seen anymore in the modern world unless called out from the Reverse Side of the World to the Present World by another power. </p><p>Releasing magical power wantonly in the middle of a forest that humans barely stepped in was a surefire way to attract otherworldly creatures. With such a great source of mana practically screaming to the world that she was there, with her Magic Core running rampant, anything with even a lick of magical aptitude could sense her presence within the forest in a ten mile radius. </p><p>When Shirou heard the rustling behind him, he instantly turned around, facing the bushes as he stood up, standing protectively over Saber’s body. Though it was useless in a dream, his body couldn’t help but move by itself, unable to leave Saber’s defenseless body by itself.</p><p>In fact, there wasn’t a need for him to do so. </p><p>First, the tip of a spiraling cone peeked out of the bush, the tip glimmering like it had been sprinkled with dust, then Shirou caught glimpses of the white behind it, like freshly fallen snow, until the beast pushed its way through the undergrowth and came into the small clearing that Saber was resting in. </p><p>It was magnificent. </p><p>This was the first thought that crossed Shirou’s mind when he saw it, a creature so beautiful that words failed to describe its appearance. The color of snow seemed like a dirty gray when compared to it’s skin, with a flowing mane of purest silver that shone regally under the moonlight. Eyes filled with intelligence stared down at the girl laying on the ground, now glowing with so much golden light that her features were lost in the radiance, her body burning a human shaped impression into the ground. Yet the newcomer shone with its own light, silvery white warring with the gold from Saber’s for dominance. The most prominent feature though, was the horn on its brow, an object that surpassed the most precisely cut diamonds, a firm beauty akin to the moon that hung in the sky surrounded by countless stars, something which mankind could never replicate in full. </p><p>Shirou almost fell to his knees at the sight of it, his mind going blank for a second as his heart was drawn to it, losing all sense of time and being for a moment. Still, his mental strength was not to be underestimated, and he was somehow able to wrench his gaze away from it and look at the ground, knowing that he would be rendered dumb and incoherent if he looked any longer, captivated by the beauty of the creature. His head yearned to take just one more look, but he resisted, knowing that beauty of that degree was dangerous, a weapon that could make people lose their minds and ravage others with but a single glance. It was no exaggeration in the legends when goddesses and gods of great beauty turned mortals insane with but one look. This one though, was no divine spirit, but a Phantasmal Beast of high pedigree, completely outstripping the boggart in both Mystery and nobility.</p><p>It was a unicorn.</p><p>Hooves gently pacing to stand next to Saber, the unicorn looked down at her body lying prone on the ground, its head leaning so close to her that its breath tickled her body, ignoring the heat pouring off her body in waves. Shirou couldn’t see anything, with his eyes screwed shut tightly, but he could hear the hooves brushing against the ground, lighter than a normal horse could, and its breathing, a feathery sound that tickled his ears and tempted him to look upon it again. </p><p>Bowing its head low in a submissive gesture unfitting of its royal air, it placed its horn on Sabers chest, right above her heart, and pricked it. The tip of its horn, a point infinitely sharp and fine, easily slipped through her skin despite the Mystery she herself possessed, encountering only the smallest of resistance. A bead of blood welled up at the point of contact, staining the flawless surface of the glossy horn, a deep azure that seemed to harbor other things inside the longer one stared into it. </p><p>The unicorn did nothing more, staying as still as a statue in that position, horn piercing her skin and eyes closed. Shirou heard nothing else, just the silence of the forest that seemed more hushed in the presence of the creature, the silence filled with something else, a pleasant wind that seemed to hum in his ears while being soundless. </p><p>After what felt like hours for Shirou, but was merely minutes in reality, the unicorn finally raised its head, the horn leaving Sabers skin as a droplet of blood fell onto the pinprick hole that it had made. </p><p>Shirou heard a soft whinny, a gentle wake-up call, then silence. </p><p>Slowly, Saber’s eyes opened.</p>
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<a name="section0154"><h2>154. Chapter 154</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 154</p><p>The first thing she saw was the leaves above her, swaying slightly in the night breeze. The smell of ash and razed dirt entered her nose, making her wrinkle it as she sat up, her mind still in a daze from what had happened earlier. Blinking her eyes, she sat in place as her mental faculties reasserted themselves, bit by bit. Her body no longer felt that cold, her bare skin merely feeling a light chill from the night.</p><p>Staring at the ground mindlessly, she finally noticed that it was a grayish white around her, with blackened sticks and flecks that dotted the ground around her as well. The strong scent she had been selling all this time was coming from the ground all around her. Her body also smelled the same, like she had jumped into a forest fire and came out smelling just like it. </p><p>Looking at the bushes where the unicorn had come through, she thought she had sensed something. A glimmer of white shone in the darkness, a sliver of silver, and then there was nothing more. Staring hard into the shadows for a few more seconds, she gave up, unable to spot anything more.</p><p>Holding a hand up to her face she flexed it, the fingers bending and responding as they should, the skin whole and unblemished. Standing up, she patted herself all over her body, checking for any wounds or strange marks. </p><p>After patting herself and bending her limbs to inspect for a full minute, she concluded that there was nothing out of place on her body. By all rights, she should have perished when she lost control of her Magic Core, but by some miracle, she had remained whole and unharmed. Had something happened to her while she was unconscious on the ground? Perhaps her body had automatically adjusted to the power and adapted to it after she fainted? Or her fainting had subconsciously limited its output out of instinct? </p><p>The burnt dirt and forest debris turned to ashes around her served as a poignant reminder of what her fate could have been if she had</p><p>Placing a hand on her chest, she could still feel the warmth pulsing through her body. The Magic Core was still up and running, a steady stream of energy flowing through her, but it was no longer like a raging tsunami that was uncontrollable, bursting through her body until it broke from the stress. It was much more tame, a reliable source of strength, though she could feel that if she tried to reach deeper, she could make it burn to great heights until it became a raging inferno again. That would have to wait until she trained further though. For now, having it activated in a controllable manner to keep her warm was enough. She would figure out how she survived later.</p><p>Unicorns possessed the property to cleanse humans, a purifying power that was intrinsic in their very nature, creatures of regal nobility that exemplified the beauty of nature, surpassing any mundane creatures. Their powers extended to the effects of mana oversurging, a poison like any other, such as water when drunk in quantities too large, and the unicorn had purified it until Saber was able to handle the amount, the purification also regulating the amount cycling through her body as long as she didn’t try to extract more power from her Core. With it’s job done purging her of the excess mana and tuning her Core, it had left without a word. </p><p>As for why it had helped her, well, the unicorn was part of the modern royal coat of arms of Britain for a reason. </p><p>With her body recovered from the backlash of her Magic Core, she was able to sit down and think calmly, her body no longer so susceptible to the temperature as she thought of a way to deal with her current crisis. Though she was young, she had been taught to keep a calm mind at all times to deal with her problems, shelving her desire to bawl for later. She was supposed to be a King when she grew up after all, though running away from a social event like a brat was definitely not what a king would do.</p><p>Currently, all she had with her was her wooden sword, with not even her clothes to shield her, and she was lost in the forest as well, though if she made it to the outskirts, she would probably be able to recognize the landmarks and navigate the forest. From there, she could request help from the nearby village after getting out of the forest. With her objective decided, she stood up and took action. To start with, she should probably get her bearings first. </p><p>Looking around, the tree behind her seemed as good a place to start as any. It was decent enough to climb, able to support her weight in various places, with rough surfaces and plenty of places to serve as holds for both her feet and hands, and it was tall enough to provide a vantage point to observe the surroundings. Placing the sword on the ground, she slowly climbed up, taking advantage of her lightness to nimbly swing up the trees, though there were a few branches that took some stretching and footword to reach. </p><p>As she pulled herself up one of the thicker limbs splitting off the main trunk, she came face to face with an ugly face that would scare any baby into tears. </p><p>“Urk.”</p><p>The boggart, attracted by her uncontrollable mana pouring out of her like a spring of fresh water to a thirsty traveler in the desert, came close to her, hoping to get something, like several other Phantasmal Beasts in the area. Unfortunately, it was the only one who was unable to high tail it out of there when the unicorn appeared, scaring away all the lesser Phantasmal Beasts, and it was only able to escape its attention by crawling up the tree in its haste to escape and hid there without making a sound. </p><p>It had planned to make a run for it after the unicorn left, but Saber had woken up soon after just as it left, and the boggart had been unable to leave without making any sound that would alert Saber to its position. It had desperately waited for Saber to move away or get distracted so that it could make its getaway, but unfortunately she had chosen to climb up the tree that it had chosen as its hiding spot. </p><p>The moment it was spotted, it gave a tremendous leap, pushing off the tree trunk to jump far enough that it was almost like it had wings, his intent to get a massive head start and lose her in the forest.</p><p>Unfortunately for it, this time Saber had her Magic Core pumping energy throughout her entire body, amplifying her physical prowess as well as keeping her warm. </p><p>It felt a sudden gust pass his face, tickling its cheek, and then it felt a tight grip on its shoulder.</p><p>*Don!*</p><p>The boggart went flying into the ground below, crashing through the branches and leaves, his body breaking them and giving him a shower of snapped twigs and leaves to accompany his brief trip to the ground. All the breath left its lungs as it slammed into the ground, stars swimming in its eyes as it lay there, stunned. </p><p>Leaping down, Saber crouched next to it  and smiled sweetly, her lips stretching just a tad wider than it should, her hands grabbing the wooden sword lying next to the tree and tapping the tip next to its head. She knelt above its body, ensuring that it wouldn’t escape without some difficulty, though for Shirou watching from the side, it was an embarrassing position for him to see with Saber naked above the humanoid creature. </p><p>“Can you p-l-e-a-s-e show me where you took my clothes?”</p><p>Fear gripped the boggart's heart when he heard her voice, cheerful on the surface, but spoken without any inflection at all. The tapping sword next to his head didn’t help, and when he turned his head, he realized it was slowly making a hole in the dirt with how hard she was tapping it, even with how tightly packed the earth was. </p><p>Gulping, it nodded quickly. </p><p>“You will? Great, then let’s go.”</p><p>Keeping a firm grip on the boggarts arm, they walked into the forest, with the boggart leading the way. Behind them, Shirou followed closely, watching as the dream unfolded in front of his eyes.</p>
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<a name="section0155"><h2>155. Chapter 155</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 155</p><p>The boggart pointed the way through the forest, remaining in Saber’s iron grip as it pointed out when she went the wrong way, waving its hand in the correct direction when this happened. Though there didn’t seem to be any marks or signs that indicated she was going the right way, the boggart seemed to be confident in its sense of direction, and she couldn’t tell either way. </p><p>With no choice but to trust the creature, she let it lead the way, though she was vigilant from it escaping her grasp. Twice, it tried to twist its way out of her hands, one time while her head accidentally smacked against a low-hanging branch, loosening her grip, and the other time she had stepped into a puddle, her foot sinking in as she almost lost her balance, but the boggart failed to get away both times, with Saber catching him immediately after it managed to tear away its arm from her hand. It now had two bruises on its head, and several spot smarting on its arm, her iron claws pressing dead tight on the flesh. </p><p>After several more twists and turns, she and the boggart finally arrived at a small grove in the middle of the forest, with a cave in the middle of it. Shirou trailed behind the two, still doing his best to not stare at the young Saber’s naked rear, even after all this time at her side. </p><p>“So this is the place?”</p><p>The boggart, giving no more directions, nodded its head. It jutted its stubble covered round chin at the dark hole, the mouth of the cave filled with darkness that hid any hint of its contents. If she wanted to get her clothes back, she would have to go into the cave and get them herself. Dragging the boggart behind her, she walked into the cave, wary of any traps that the boggart could have prepared to deal with intruders. The boggart squirmed in her hand, but it was unable to free itself as it was dragged on the dirt into its own home. </p><p>The gloom of the cave enveloped her as she stepped in, the moonlight and stars failing to penetrate the darkness wrapping the insides of the cave. After waiting for a few moments for her eyesight to adjust for the lack of illumination, keeping an extra firm grip on her captive, she could just barely see the walls, the outlines of the uneven earth and roots stretching on the ground appearing as thin lines that she could tell apart from the darkness, though it was still difficult to see if there was anything else. </p><p>Treading carefully, she walked deeper into the cave, stepping over the roots that could easily trip her if she wasn’t careful, keeping one hand on a wall so she could walk along it, and another tightly secure on the boggarts arm, though the boggart was now only making a token effort to struggle. </p><p>The time spent walking in the darkness seemed to stretch on and on, her vision deprived of all but the slightest information as she watched her step, making slow and careful moves to advance into the cave. Her ears could hear the beating of her own heart in the enclosed space as she left the open forest behind, the sounds of the leaves and wind leaving her, and she could smell the deep, rich earthiness of the dirt all around her. The rough earthen walls beneath her hand continued as she kept walking, her fingers brushing across the occasional root stretching across it. </p><p>Time stretched on in the darkness as her sense of time grew fainter and fainter, her legs carrying her on as she continued to walk deeper and deeper into the cave. </p><p>Strange, how deep is this cave?</p><p>She had thought it was only a normal forest cave, barely deep enough for a bear to hibernate in, but it seemed to continue on, and on, and on until her feet grew tired, the wooden sword growing heavier and heavier in her hands as she pressed it against the wall with her hands to keep her from running into the walls. </p><p>The boggart in her other hand had become strangely docile, simply plodding along with her, its breathing and footsteps filling her ears along with her own in the soundless cave. She could barely see it in the darkness even though it was right next to her, but when she took a look at it, it seemed like it was simply staring ahead, it's pure black eyes focused on something far ahead. </p><p>Behind them, Shirou frowned. His eyes could actually see quite well, though his vision only extended to three or four meters in front of him, with anything beyond shrouded in darkness. At first he had thought that it was a small cave, just like Saber, but now that they had walked or some time, he knew something was wrong. No cave was this big. He had also noticed there was a slight incline on the floor, with them continuously walking downwards, though it wasn’t very noticeable, and for Saber whose sight was impaired by the darkness, she couldn’t tell at all.</p><p>Saber didn’t know when, but the surroundings started to brighten. The walls and floors started standing out in sharper relief as they walked, color bleeding into the roots and dirt as more and more light became available. The air itself changed too, turning warmer and warmer as the continued. </p><p>At this point, she was smart enough to know that she had probably messed up.</p><p>Twice, she tried to go back towards the entrance of the cave, only to find that no matter how long she walked, she didn’t seem to advance. On the second try, after drawing a mark on the wall with her wooden sword, she walked back towards the entrance. In what seemed like a few minutes, her hands brushed past the mark again.</p><p>With no choice left to her, she continued forward. All the while, the boggart didn’t do a thing, merely following next to her all the time, though it did make what seemed like a clicking noise when she tried to turn back both times. Her caution against it slipped, her grip growing looser as she went. After all, it wasn’t like a boggart like it could do any harm to her right? They mostly just played pranks and the like, a mischievous folk.</p><p>Saber stopped when she finally left the long tunnel, stepping into a proper cave. Her mouth was slightly ajar as she stared at the scenery in front of her, blinking as she took in the sight. Her hand slipped from the boggarts arm, hanging loosely by her side. Behind her, Shirou was similarly taken in the scenery, mesmerized by something straight out of a fairytale.</p><p>Instead of a cave, it was much larger than that, though it wasn't big enough to be called a cavern. One could park several trucks in it and still have some room to spare, and the ceiling was quite tall as well, high enough that a grown-up Saber would have to expend some effort to jump all the way to that height. </p><p>Crystals grew on the ceiling, completely covering it like the sky, a multitude of refracting surfaces glowing with their own light, rainbow varieties standing out in clusters between the most common cloudy white stones. The sharp edges and smooth surfaces released the light held within the crystals, reflecting and mixing with each other until it was a riot of rainbows released from above, a symphony of colors that somehow clicked together despite its inherent chaos, with no rhyme or reason to its patterns or positions. </p><p>Below the crystals, masses of plants grew, will o'wisps hanging in the air just above the ground, their green glow and flickering form moving about in a ghostly manner, bobbing and dipping slowly above a carpet of green. A strange assortment of vines grew from the ground, thick and strong vines twisting and entwining together to reach the ceiling, yet stopping short, ending up as strangely formed trees without branches or leaves. In the air, motes of viridescent light floated, akin to fireflies at night, but Shirou and Saber couldn’t tell if there were actually insects within them. A soothing trickle of water indicated a stream somewhere nearby, but they couldn’t see it from where they were standing. In addition, there was a musky smell mixed with the scent of the plants, the stench of pelts and fur that was barely covered by plants and earth that should have been dominating the place.</p><p>And strewn all around the place, like a stain on its ethereal, natural beauty, were human clothes, food, tools and more lying all over the vine-trees, plant floor and walls, a garbage dump of random objects. In the middle of the large cave though, was a concentrated pile of these items, and on the very top of it Saber could see what looked like her clothes. </p><p>“Ah!”</p><p>Finally, she spotted the things she had come in search of, the chance to walk around fully clothed once more in front of her eyes. Though the place was magical, she didn’t plan to stay long, knowing well the dangers of being in a place such as this. Although it was already a blunder on her part when she entered the cave willingly.</p><p>With a start, she noticed that the boggart was no longer next to her, with only the disturbed dirt next to her left of its presence. Keeping herself vigilan in case it came back to assault her, she made her way towards the pile to retrieve her clothes, her wooden sword held in both hands as her eyes darted from the left to right. The best she could hope for was that it left her alone and hid until she grabbed the clothes and left this place. She would deal with the problem of leaving the cave when it happened. </p><p>The boggart never showed up even after she reached the pile, and after standing there in front of the pile for a few minutes, waiting for the boggart to show up, she lowered her sword and quickly grabbed her clothes, slipping them on as fast as she could. Though it was a bit sloppy, she got dressed in record time, and was back with her sword in hand, fully clothed now. </p><p>For Shirou, it was a relief that he could finally look directly at her, though he wouldn’t be able to look at Saber in real life without blushing after this. He could only hope that his memory was wiped clean of that particular detail when he woke up.</p><p>With one last look around her, she walked towards the tunnel, intent on leaving the place as soon as possible. Once she got out, she could climb a tree and check where she was, then get out of the forest and apologize to her father and Kay, then have some warm food and a nice bed to sleep after getting chewed out inside out, but it would be worth it, and she would sleep the day away until...</p><p>She stopped in her tracks. </p><p>Standing in front of her, its head just a half a meter away from the ceiling and its leg blocking the cave entrance, was a monstrous beast. </p><p>“Shit.”</p>
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<a name="section0156"><h2>156. Chapter 156</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 156</p><p>The Reverse Side of the World was mostly closed off to the modern world by the end of the Age of Gods, with it simply being impossible to reach physically, as Albion showed well enough. His corpse, left behind in British soil as he tried in vain to dig downwards to reach the reverse side, was a lesson in futility of trying to reach the other side physically, the Spiritual Tomb of Albion under the Clock Tower fashioned from his remains, the presence of the dragon’s body serving as one of the factors that the capital London was built where it was. </p><p>Nonetheless, it was still possible to reach the Reverse Side through specially created portals, with some places more suitable to such portals than the rest. There were places that were closer to that side than this side, the texture between the Age of Man and the Reverse Side blurring, with a hole outright appearing in some cases, with Lord El-Melloi II involving his pupil Wills Pelham Codrington being one such example. Through the usage of Mystic Eyes and a specially designed land made to channel the energies, a portal was torn to the land of fairies, and only through great effort was it able to be closed again. </p><p>For Saber, the place she was in right now was definitely closer to the Reverse Side, the sight of the cavern being something that couldn’t be found on the surface anywhere in Britain. The closer a place was to the Reverse Side, the less the rules of the world of Man applied, making it more likely for things impossible by the laws of physics and science to happen. </p><p>With the conditions correct, the boggart was able to shapeshift, turning into a large troll-like monster that towered over Saber. Its head was the size of a bale of hay, with two beady black eyes deeply set into the gray skin, a snout akin to a pigs with two long vertical slits almost right between its eyes. A large mouth unevenly lined with fangs that were equally sharp adorned its face, and large bristly hair grew all over its back, the follicles thick enough that they were like small twigs sprouting from its body. A thick, stout body and four limbs padded with wiry muscles that looked like they could easily snap a cow in half completed the image. The beast possessed no visible humanoid genitalia, and it wore no clothes, though it wasn’t like any clothes would it fit it anyway. </p><p>Hunching slightly to avoid hitting the ceiling, it stared at Saber, and Saber stared back at it. </p><p>Boggarts were mostly known for playing pranks and being mischievous, but that was due to the lack of mana in the current Age that reduced them to this state, with the continuation of the Age of Man almost wiping them out of existence except in very few places, with these few places mostly being under the care of magi and similar existences. Only in a rare few folktales were boggarts ever described as being capable of more, and of them they ascribed the powers of shapeshifting, with fiendish forms that frightened anyone who saw it. </p><p>Their tendencies to steal things and break objects to prank humans was in fact an attempt to elicit a response from humans, inciting their emotions for fluctuations in latent Magic Circuits for them to feed on. That was the main reason when the victims outwitted them and their emotions remained stable, the boggarts grew frustrated. They also existed in sites like marshes, caves and dangerous sharp bends on a road, feeding on the fear that humans had of the unknown or death, in places where accidents frequently occured. It also served to mask their comings and goings, while making these places less frequented by people to give them a more comfortable environment of isolation to live in.</p><p>It was also known that naming the boggart would strengthen it, and looking upon its monstrous size, Saber was relatively sure that it was named. </p><p>The cave used to be lived in by a hermit, but after the boggart came and he unwittingly named it, he vanished. The cave became what it was in part due to the hermit, and in part due to the boggart, and also in part due to what it was before. </p><p>Regardless, Saber was faced with a deadly foe. </p><p>Upon drawing her sword into a two-handed stance, the boggart's eyes twitched, and then in a flash it was on all four and charging towards her, knocking down the strange plants and trampling the plants stretching across the floor, already bearing down upon Saber before she could even blink. </p><p>“HAH!”</p><p>A shrill cry ripped free of Saber’s throat as she jumped into the air with all her strength, the boggart going past her underneath as she barely cleared its head, the boggarts reflexed too slow to react to her sudden jump. At the same time while somersaulting to tuck in her legs to avoid clipping the boggarts head, her wooden sword smacked on the boggarts head, a strike that would have given Kay a nasty bruise, if not making him faint outright.</p><p>All it did to the boggart was lightly scratch the skin, giving it the equivalent of tap, with barely any sensation. The wooden sword was blunt, and even a steel sword with a finely honed edge would have difficulty cutting into its thick hide. Still, it was what Saber expected, and the blow was only to test how thick its defenses were. As she landed on the ground behind the boggart, her mind worked furiously, struggling to find a way to victory. </p><p>Stopping, the boggart spun, its bulk concealing a surprising amount of speed.</p><p>Leaning far backward, the bogart's long arms swiped the air above her like a solid log, the vine-trees breaking like straw as its arm went through them. Rolling on the ground beneath its swipes, Saber put some distance between them, going towards the entrance to the cave. Dirt and plants stuck to her clothes, her wooden sword bumping against her body, but she ignored these things and rolled as fast and hard as she could. </p><p>She stood up and jumped backwards right as the boggart realized that the swipes were being avoided, its hand with long claws homing in on her and slamming down on the ground to squish her in an overhead smash. She was sprayed with dirt and green matter from the plants, spitting out some that made it into her mouth as she dashed towards the entrance. </p><p>If she could escape the cave, she wouldn’t have to worry about the boggart, since it was far too large to fit into the hole, the only thing it could fit being one arm. Of course, if the tunnel worked against her like it had earlier, she could possibly find herself trapped in a spatial loop and into a deadend corner, with the boggart easily able to drag her out if the loop was shallow enough, and no space to dodge the massive hand in the tunnel. </p><p>While debating these possibilities in her mind as she rushed towards the tunnel, the boggart pulled its arm free of the dirt, its other hand gouging out the stone walls surroundings them, several hefty chunks of stone big enough to be called a boulder when combined encased in its hands, the raw strength built into its body and sharp claws crushing the them together as it tilted its arm backwards, the hand reaching far behind it, and then swinging it forward to throw the stones in one smooth motion.</p><p>Saber slammed her sword into the ground as her legs stiffened and her feet skidded on the ground from the momentum of her run, the wooden sword stuck in the ground serving as an anchor for her to stop. With her Core running, she was going much faster than usual, and if she didn’t stop as soon as possible, she would be killed. She barely came to a stop as the rocks landed right in front of her, a near miss that almost crushed her small body. </p><p>Several chunks smacked right above the entrance, breaking the stone there and causing a shower of rocks to fall in front of the entrance, including those the boggart just threw. The entire area around the entrance was surrounded by a cloud of dust, hiding Saber and the entrance, the boggart standing on the other side of the room and waiting for the dust to settle. Within the dust cloud, the flickering of will o’wisps could be seen faintly, with little else visible. Saber couldn’t see outside of the cloud, and the boggart couldn’t see anything in the cloud either. Reaching out its hand, it closed on another weapon.</p><p>*Guchi-swoosh*</p><p>A shadow fell over her, and she twisted her body desperately as the vine-tree the boggart had ripped up impacted. The tree kicked up a shower of dirt, sending even more dust billowing into the air. </p><p>When the dust cleared, Saber was nowhere to be seen, and the entrance was almost sealed, with only a small gap left.</p>
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<a name="section0157"><h2>157. Chapter 157</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 157</p><p>Breathing hard, Saber leaned against the vine-tree, trying to catch her breath as her heart throbbed in her chest like a drum. It had taken a massive leap just to get out of the way, and she had unconsciously drawn on her Core for a burst of strength, unknowingly using Mana Burst for the first time to enhance her physical capabilities. Nevertheless, with her lack of control, she had overdone it, and she could feel her back aching all over, with her lower legs numb after slamming into the tree on her back from jumping too hard. She also felt several pulled muscles from twisting too harshly, but she could only grit her teeth and bear it, to avoid the boggart finding out where she was. </p><p>Keeping quiet, she peeked out from behind the tree slightly, seeing the boggart look from left to right as it scanned the area for any sign of her. She quickly shuffled back behind the tree, doing her best to not strain her body while remaining quiet. </p><p>Staring at the pile of rubble and the tree blocking the exit, she knew it was impossible to get through for her. The rocks were far too large for her to move, even with her newfound strength, and though she could see a small gap at the top of the pile, she would have to move a few more pieces of rubble to have a chance to slip through, and she doubted the boggart would give her the chance to do so. </p><p>Perhaps...she could trick the boggart into hitting the rubble and scattering it? She could hear it shuffling around closer to the rubble, its feet thudding against the ground heavily as it came close to her position. If she popped out and stood next to the pile of rubble, maybe it would-</p><p>*DON*</p><p>The world turned black and white, pain searing through her torso, her voice screaming like there was no tomorrow.</p><p>Then she was back. </p><p>She was already flying through the air before she knew it, her instincts kicking in and moving her legs automatically as she kicked off against the ground and away from the vine-tree, before the boggarts gnarled hand tore through it, shredding it like paper. The wind from the swipe blew Saber even further, sending her crashing into a wall and landing on the ground on a pile. If her instinct hadn't kicked in when it had, her upper body would have been sprayed on the walls in a picture of gore. </p><p>Her Magic Core may have helped her body strengthen herself, a thread of hope that allowed her to survive, but with it active all the time, she couldn’t hide her magical signature. For the boggart, it was a simple matter to find her again in the room as long as she didn’t learn how to mask herself or shut down the Core. Either option was impossible for her, with no way to immediately learn how to mask her signature, and shutting down the Core meaning decreased strength and speed, in turn meaning that she’d get hit much more easily by the boggart.</p><p>Dazed, she half-limped, half-dragged her body sideways against the wall, getting a half a step before falling down on purpose as the boggart charged at her, getting onto her knees and crawling through its legs as its hands slammed into the stone above her head, her blonde head ruffled from the wind. The claw dug into the stone, cracks forming as they sank deeply into the wall. </p><p>Lurching forward, she gathered her wits and ran as fast she could before the boggart could pull its claws out, the adrenaline lending her a burst of speed. She managed to get several steps away before the boggart ripped free its hand with brute strength, a shower of rocks spraying Saber’s back as she ran. </p><p>The pulled muscles and the bruises on her back from slamming into the tree earlier slowed her down, the boggart swinging around face her before she could take more than ten steps. Sensing that she couldn’t get away in time, she sank lower, her knees bending as she placed the wooden sword on her side, completely covering her left side vertically as she placed it alongside her upper arm, the flat of the blade touching her shoulder. Instead of getting further away, she took a step forward towards the boggart.</p><p>With a tremendous bang, she was sent flying into the air, the wooden sword, or what was left of it, floating along with her as she traveled to the wall again. With a crack, her shoulder hit the wall first, followed by the rest of her body, then gravity took over and her body slid down. Her step forward had taken her closer to the boggarts forearm, avoiding getting gored by the claws, but she had still taken a hefty amount of physical damage no matter how much she had braced herself for the blow.</p><p>The light of the crystals hurt her eyes, her head throbbing as she tried to clear the blurred images swinging in front of her eyes, everything wiggling and wobbling in all the wrong ways. Her body throbbed like one massive bruise, with her muscles aching as she turned her body, the parts she was pressing on hurting more and more. Adrenalin was still pumping through her body, but it was quickly fading, the trauma from being flung into a wall disorienting her and shaking up her body badly, the cuts and bruises all over her body further adding salt to the internal injuries. </p><p>Miraculously, not a bone in her body was broken, though quite a few of them were close. The Core in her body was working overtime, performing emergency first-aid on many of her wounds both external and internal, as well as strengthening her organs by instinct the instant before she got hit, maintaining it until she hit the wall. With her inexperience in using the Core, she was experiencing fatigue from channelling energy through her body as well besides the injuries plaguing her body. </p><p>Lying on the ground, she was unable to do little else except groan and mutter as she tried to get up, but her body refused to obey her. Coughing, red liquid spat out of her mouth, dripping onto the earth and turning it muddy. Though she was gifted with a Magic Core and a strong human body, with training as soon as she was able to, she just couldn’t defeat it, her abilities as a child too lacking to surpass a hurdle so high. </p><p>The boggart stepped closer slowly, no longer wary once it saw its prey incapacitated. It wondered how to take her Magic Core, the memory of the energy she was releasing in the forest when it was out of control, making the boggart salivate. It had feigned losing track of Saber, then attacked while her guard was down, pursuing her closely until she was out of energy. Now that she was barely able to move, it could take its time.</p><p>Lying on the ground, Saber struggled to keep her eyes open as the boggart closed in on her, the ground rumbling with each step as it came closer and closer, its shape filling her entire field of vision. </p><p>Turning on her side, she looked around, spotting the wooden sword next to her, with only a third of the blade left attached to the handle, the edge ending in splinters. It was basically just a useless piece of wood at this point, but nevertheless Saber still forced her arm to move, her bruised shoulders whining in protest with her joints creaking as she stretched the arm towards the handle, her fingers managing to close on the handle and bringing it close to her body as the boggart stood above her body.</p><p>A hot wind blew down on her face, the stench of its breath hitting her face as she lay there on the ground, her hand weakly raising the broken half of her practice sword at the boggart, shuffling her body to face it even though she could barely move without pain coursing through her nerves and lighting her muscles on fire.</p><p>Lowering itself, it placed its hand over Sabers frail body, its claws and palm completely covering her as it closed on her body, lifting her up in the air while ignoring her weak hits on its leathery skin with her broken sword. </p><p>Eating a person normally wouldn’t let one take another person's Magic Circuits, unless one had an ability that specifically allowed for such a scenario, or the Magic Circuits were designed in such a manner. However, for the Magic Core that ran within Sabers blood, it was a bit different. Siegfried gained a skin of invulnerability from bathing in the dragon he slew, with the sole exception being the patch of skin where a leaf had fallen. As Saber’s Magic Core stemmed from the blood of dragons running through her veins, it was possible to attempt to acquire it through direct ingestion of her whole body. </p><p>Mordred had acquired a similar level of mana output through her lineage linking her to Saber, the same blood flowing in Mordred as well. The blood of dragons inherited by the traitor granted her the same factor of dragon, and with proper training she was able to reach a similar level of Mana Burst as her father given enough time. </p><p>Of course, it was a long shot, but it wasn’t like the boggart knew of any other method. Despite its cunning, and its nature as a Phantasmal Beast, it wasn’t as knowledgeable as a magus on such things. All it could think of was the benefits it would reaping from acquiring a Magic Core of such quality. It’s instincts called on it to sate its hunger on her, the dragon rich blood an ample treat for it. </p><p>Opening its mouth, the stench of flesh and saliva filling Sabers nose, it dropped her. Flailing her arms weakly, she couldn’t even scream as she fell, only weak cry leaving her throat as she watched the ceiling grow distant before she closed her eyes against her impending fate. </p><p>In a final act of defiance, she thrust out her hand clutching the broken sword, hoping to scratch or impale it on her way down through its mouth, so weak and disoriented as she fell that she couldn’t even entertain the thought of throwing it. </p><p>The unhinged jaws snapped shut, a ring of finality ringing out as the fangs of its mouth knocked against each other.</p>
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<a name="section0158"><h2>158. Chapter 158</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 158</p><p>“Sorry, can’t let you do that to my cute apprentice~”</p><p>Shirou, who had watched wide-eyed as the boggart ate Saber, despite the fact that she should have survived, blinked as the body dissolved in a flurry of flower petals, slipping out of its mouth easily like a pack of butterflies as the boggart chomped on air, the petals veering shy of its maw and gliding off to the side to reform further away on the ground into the shape of Saber’s body. The injuries on her body were still there, but she seemed to be sleeping peacefully, the look on her face loose and unguarded. </p><p>Standing next to her, clad in white robes and holding a staff similar to what Shirou had seen Caster use, was a man with flamboyant white hair. A white hood covered his head, with a pink sash keeping his hood tied, and sapphire threads below the sash holding the hood together. A golden sash tied into three loops sat above his midriff, and his loose black pants billowed in the wind, though there weren't any in the cave they were in. </p><p>“I’ve only started teaching her directly recently, but it would be a shame to lose her so early. So, would you be so kind as to return her to me?”</p><p>The man's tone was lighthearted, and his face sported a faint grin as he spoke, but the magical energy gathering in his staff was no joke. A small orb of prismatic radiance was starting to form at the tip of his staff, the colors hurting Shirou’s eyes when he looked at it. </p><p>The boggart could only grunt, but the unveiled threat of mana gathering in the staff, as well as the inhumaneness of the newcomer threw it off balance, the boggart unable to help but feel cowed by the man, or the thing pretending to be a man. </p><p>With the orb growing larger by the second, and a slowly gathering storm of mana surrounding the white man that the boggart could easily sense, it backed off warily, shuffling back to the wall opposite the two. There was no sense in losing its life here against an unknown opponent, no matter how much it coveted Sabers blood and the plentiful energy running through it. At the rate this was going, the boggart would be obliterated without a trace if it tried to challenge the man. </p><p>“Good boy~”</p><p>The boggart felt patronized, but it refrained from acting, simply letting the cloaked figure pass by it while Saber was carried on his shoulders. Upon reaching the blocked entrance, Shirou could hear something vaguely along the lines of ‘what a pain’. Drawing out a sword from beneath his cloak, he stabbed it into the ground, and a line of golden light zigzagged from the blade along the ground towards the rubble. </p><p>A bright flash blinded Shirou, and a moment later after he opened his eyes, the pile of rubble was mostly gone, vaporized into thin air. While he blinked the spots out of his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things, the man returned the sword underneath his cloak, walking out of the cave casually, while the boggart stood there waiting for him to leave. </p><p>It was slightly surreal to see the ferocious boggart that had been a hair's breadth away from eating Saber suddenly acting so docile and meek. It hunched over, hands scraping against the ground, watching the cloaked man and Saber enter the tunnel leading to the outside, waiting for the veritable storm of mana and the scent of flowers to leave its senses before it dared to move again. Taking one last look at the cowed boggart, Shirou left the cave as well, walking into the tunnel before he lost sight of the strange man’s cloak, flapping as he walked. </p><p>The tunnel was generally a one-way trip for any normal people who stumbled into the cave that it led to, but the man carrying Saber was no ordinary person. </p><p>“The four winds carry the blossoms across-ack”</p><p>He stopped chanting midway, his face twisting into a grimace as he nursed his tongue, tasting blood in his mouth, though it was tinged with sweetness along with the metallic iron that filled his mouth. He really needed to stop biting his tongue at inopportune moments while chanting. Opening his mouth, a petal blew onto his tongue from nowhere, laying itself over the small bite marks and covering them, a cool sense of relief tingling from his tongue as the wounds closed themselves. </p><p>Breathing in, he started to chant again. </p><p>“The four winds carry the blossoms across the endless sea, an eternal journey seeking the final abode.”</p><p>Unlike his flashy display earlier, this time only smattering of petals floated down onto the ground, laying a trail of pink on the floor of the tunnel, standing out against the dull brown dirt. Taking one step at a time, the man went through the tunnel while following the trail, with Shirou following behind him.</p><p>Despite Saber’s inability to reach outside the tunnel, the man was easily able to get outside in what felt like less than a minute. Shirou was surprised to see the tunnel quickly brighten, and then the pale moonlight was once again visible through the opening of the tunnel, the smell of leaves and wood drifting into the tunnel with a soft breeze, carrying the sounds of the forest with it. </p><p>Standing in front of the tunnel, was the same man in white. </p><p>Bit by bit, the man in white’s clothes flaked off into petals, the process speeding up until he became a mass of pink petals that swirled off into the forest, riding the wind all the way. Saber, who was resting on his shoulder all this time, fell to the ground, only for a bed of flowers to suddenly sprout for the dirt and catch her, the soft stalks bending as the petals cushioned her fall. The man who had been waiting at the entrance all this time knelt next to her, his hand reaching out from beneath the cloak and pinching her cheeks, tugging them this way and that as her expressions darkened from the contact, turning into a mild frown even as she continued to sleep peacefully. </p><p>The baby fat on her face had yet to fade due to her age, still retaining the roundness that most children had. As such, the man enjoyed himself for a while by pulling her face into different directions, making strange faces that he would also be able to use as blackmail to leverage her in the future. On the side, Shirou couldn’t reconcile this Saber being played with the serious Saber who had fought for him, a large gap in their ability and experience, as well as the innocent naivety this younger Saber showed.</p><p>“You’ve been naughty, running away from home like that. Serves you right to get caught by a boggart and turned naked. Oh well, I suppose this will be a good lesson for you in the future to avoid going off like that in secret. If I weren’t watching you from the start, you would have been pleasantly resting in the beast's stomach while getting yourself digested merrily.”</p><p>Sighing, he shook his head, the white hair on his head bouncing as he did so. </p><p>“Seeing you defenseless like this makes me want to prank you even more, but I suppose running through the forest naked and then almost being eaten will have to be enough entertainment for me. For now, let's get you away from here.”</p><p>Standing up, he tilted his staff towards her, and the flowers rose from the ground, a floating bed of petals that supported Saber as she lay on it, a floral mattress that promised sweet dreams for her as she dozed fitfully on it. In fact, the man’s magecraft was actually keeping her asleep as well, since it was more troublesome for him if she was awake. </p><p>Laying there in peace, she floated behind the man in white as he walked into the forest, back turned to the tunnel they came from. Shirou walked beside them, wondering who on Earth this person was. Could he be…?</p><p>Below their feet, the boggart grumbled as it shapeshifted back into its smaller, humanoid form, glaring at the ceiling as the Magus of Flowers stepped away from the vicinity of it’s home.</p>
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<a name="section0159"><h2>159. Chapter 159</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 159</p><p>Saber slept a dreamless sleep until dawn, her eyelids shut tightly and never stirring until the first rays of sunlight struck her face. When she woke up, she found herself near the edges of the forest, in a clearing filled with white flowers releasing a pungent aroma, six petals forming a star, with clusters of these petals grouped together to form one flower. They pricked her clothes, and the scent clung to her body, but she didn’t mind these things at the moment. </p><p>Opening her hand, she looked at the broken practice sword in her hands. The tip was now jagged and uneven, the wooden fibers easily visible if one looked at it horizontally. It wasn’t even longer than her forearm, a mere piece of wood that would only be good as fuel for a campfire. </p><p>The images flashed through her head, the hideous teeth and pulsating throat, her ragged breath in her ears as muscles all throughout her body burned and ached. </p><p>The events of the past night were like a dream, but the sword served as proof that it had all happened, a reminder of how she came this close to dying, and her fruitless efforts in evading that fate. Gritting her teeth, her grip tightened on the sword, the sun behind her back shadowing her face. Shirou sat on the ground against a nearby tree, staring at her.</p><p>The man in white who he assumed was Merlin, though his appearance was quite far from his expectations, had went through the forest while levitating the injured and sleeping Saber through the trees and undergrowth, maintaining her body in a stable manner that left her undisturbed as they traversed the terrain. Shirou couldn’t tell how long they had walked for, but they had reached this area filled with ramsons flowers before the moon had yet to give way to the sun. Merlin had placed Saber down on this area, then left without a word, leaving her to rest fitfully. Shirou didn’t know when, but somewhere along the way while the magus and Saber were traveling to this spot, Saber’s wounds had almost completely healed, with only a few faint lines that weren’t enough to form scars, and small bruises that were likely to disappear in a few hours time. </p><p>Twice, Saber had been saved by outside forces, coming close to losing her life in one night two times in a row, and she was powerless to save herself. </p><p>It was a large contrast from the Saber who was his Servant, an almighty being that could destroy half of Fuyuki by herself given enough resources and time. To think that even she had a time where she was...weak. </p><p>Just like he was now.</p><p>The two of them sat there, the sun casting shadows across their faces as it rose into the sky, nature running its course heedless of their actions and thoughts. </p><p>At that point, without Shirou himself noticing, the surroundings faded away, his mind sinking into a dark mire as he was pulled back into the embrace of sleep.</p><p>“Sh-u───h-o───Shi──r─”</p><p>“Shirou.”</p><p>Blearily, he opened his eyes, surprised to see the sun already shining brightly through the paper doors. Barely a hand away from his face, Saber’s green eyes stared down at him. It felt so close that if Shirou sat up, their faces would meet. </p><p>“Uwa, Saber!”</p><p>Shirou’s eyes almost popped out as the eyelids flipped open, his body trembling for a moment as he registered their closeness. However, as soon as he opened his eyes, Saber backed off, sitting upright in a proper posture. </p><p>“I was worried that you would oversleep Shirou. You were sleeping far past your usual waking time.”</p><p>Shirou sat up on the futon and scratched the back of his head, embarrassed that he had made Saber wait for him like that. </p><p>“Thanks for waking me up Saber. I guess I missed breakfast then huh.”</p><p>“No, Souichirou-san insisted that a portion of breakfast be left for you.”</p><p>She motioned a hand towards the tray containing the breakfast that the monks and Castoria had made earlier today. Suspiciously, there seemed to be less food than he’d expect, like only two tofu where there was usually a trio, or only half a bowl of miso soup. There was no trace of food anywhere on Saber’s lips, but there was no other person who could have eaten it. </p><p>Well, it was fine. She needed more energy than him as a Servant, so it was alright. </p><p>Unbeknownst to him, Kuzuki had actually given Saber four trays of breakfast, each one heavily laden with food that it was difficult even for him to balance, though Saber had easily taken them and carried them with ease on her arms. It was far from being just half a tray of food eaten, but instead six times that amount. If Shirou had witnessed her devouring the contents, he would’ve thought she had become a vacuum cleaner, turning those trays cleaner than a shirt fresh out of the washer. </p><p>“Is that so? I’ll have to thank sen-Souichirou-san later then. I’ll go get washed then Saber.”</p><p>“Very well then. I await you in the dojo, Shirou.”</p><p>His body involuntarily shivered, but he suppressed it and continued what he was doing, though as Saber left the room, a single tear rolled down his cheek. </p><p>There was no helping it, he desperately needed the training from Saber in order to get stronger and actually be useful, but it was still an extremely excruciatingly painful process that automatically made his body react whenever he thought about it. </p><p>His mind wandered to the scene of Saber training in her youth, the vigour and spirit she had shown as she swung the wooden practice sword in his dreams. Her dedication was something that he could feel as he watched her practice from dusk to dawn. A certain boy had also jumped all day, trying to pass a bar he could never hope to overcome, but he had tried all the same until someone forced him to stop.</p><p>His fist clenched, his heart stirred by seeing Saber’s change from back then and now. He too, would try to catch up to her back, no matter how far away it was. Putting the futon properly in its place, he went off to brush his teeth, a newfound spring in his step.</p>
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<a name="section0160"><h2>160. Chapter 160</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 160</p><p>His positivity was quickly fading as he walked towards the dojo, his palms sweaty while the muscles on his body started throbbing in anticipation of the beating they’d receive. Saber’s blows were already carved into him by the end of the first day, and he was sure that no matter how much he tried to forget it, some part of his subconscious would always remember the suffering she had inflicted on him, though it was for his own good. </p><p>Passing by Caster, he greeted her as he usually did, but she only replied with a passing nod and walked past him quickly. It looked like she was lost in thought about something. Had she given him a strange look as well?</p><p>Well, there wasn’t much he could do about it, he didn’t want to think about the consequences if he stood up Saber, though he did want to ask Caster what was going through her mind. Pushing it to the back of his mind, he continued walking towards the dojo.</p><p>Sliding open the thin screen door, the first thing he saw was Saber kneeling on the floor, the tatami mats that were omnipresent throughout the rest of the temple replaced here in favour of red pine boards for the floor, dark blotches appearing randomly on the light ochre rectangles, the surfaces shining from polish, though it was evident on how worn they were from frequent use, since the monks used it for both martial training and meditation as well. During this particular time period though, it was free for them to use exclusively, and it was definitely not because Saber had scared them off after demonstrating her prowess. </p><p>Saber was in front of the wooden plaques with Buddhist inscriptions, large words engraved on them with flowing script that calligraphy classes in school were supposed to teach them, though Shirou had never gotten the knack of it. Wooden practice swords adorned the walls to the left and right of the walls, along with the wooden staves that were more often used by the monks, the handles as worn as the floor. </p><p>Bowing her head slightly, with her eyes closed, she seemed to be meditating in the dojo. With her knees tucked neatly alongside her calves beneath her thighs, the black tights covering her legs allowing the barest hint of her toes to peek out, their outlines traced by the diffuse sunlight coming in through the shoji screen walls. Motes of dust danced in these shafts of light, surrounding her and making her figure more ethereal as her blonde hair caught the light and shimmered, fine strands of gold fit to adorn the crown of a king.</p><p>Shirou couldn’t help but stop and stare for a moment at the entrance, spellbound by her appearance. Compared to what he had seen in the dream, she had matured so much, though she apparently still had a lot more room to grow if what they had seen of the other Servants was applicable to her. Still, as she was right now, she more than enough to steal his breath away. </p><p>Sensing her Master’s presence close by, she opened her eyes and turned her head slightly in his direction. </p><p>“What’s wrong Shirou? You can come in.”</p><p>His face flushed a bit even though it wasn’t like he had done anything wrong, but he came in all the same, slightly reluctant to leave his position by the door. Saber stood up and took up one of the wooden practice swords placed on the racks next to the plaques, holding it in one hand loosely as she waited for Shirou to pick his. </p><p>“Today we’ll be continuing our training the same as before. Are you ready Shirou?”</p><p>Shirou could only gulp and nod as his hands closed around the wooden handle of the shinai when he heard her words, stomach turning a bit though he’d already set aside some time for his breakfast to properly digest so that he didn’t throw it back up when he got in the stomach later. </p><p>Focus!</p><p>Psyching himself up, he did best to swallow his apprehension and walked towards the spot he always started in when he sparred with Saber, just half a sword length out of her reach. Standing directly opposite each other, he assumed the traditional kendo stance he had been taught by Fuji-nee, sloppy though it was. Lifting the sword with both hands, he looked Saber in the eyes, remembering the dream last night and his own experiences in their last fight. </p><p>“I’m ready Saber.”</p><p>Saber seemed to sense something different from his eyes, her eyebrows slanting as the emerald irises narrowed in response to his unusual vigour in this practice session. Lowering her stance, she took up her usual posture and tightened her guard, legs ready to pounce forward at any moment. If he felt serious, then she was going to respond in kind. It would be an insult towards him if she reacted in any other way.</p><p>Without even a word of warning, she went on the offense, a white blur as the blouse pressed flat against her body from the air crushing it against her skin at the speeds she was moving at. </p><p>Shirou barely had time to think as he adjusted his grip on the shinai, tilting it slightly to the side just in time to intercept the sudden blow, his muscles tensed and stiffened in order to take on the kinetic force. </p><p>*DOK*</p><p>Shirou wasn’t blown of his feet per se, but the shock travelling through his arms was enough to shake up his muscles hard enough that they loosened, his entire body feeling the tremors as his knees became weak just from sustaining that one blow, his entire body sinking noticeably lower in that instant. He had kept his jaw loose with his teeth clasped together to avoid accidentally biting his tongue if he clenched them in the effort, and he could feel them chattering as the vibrations travelled up his arms and into his head. </p><p>Then it vanished, just like that. </p><p>With the force pressing against his shinai vanishing, he suddenly felt himself moving forward as his own momentum worked against him, throwing him off balance as his remaining force propelled him forward, his body moving of its own accord as his feet stumbled forward in awkward steps.</p><p>His instincts flared, and he converted the unwanted movement into a clumsy dive and roll forward as Saber’s sword struck the floor with a crisp and clear smack, his head barely escaping her wrath as he dropped and rolled, his butt feeling the wave of air from that swift downwards blow kiss the back of his pants. </p><p>His hands were already twisting around and bracing for another one before he was even standing up, his knee still on the ground as he turned and intercepted the blow coming from Saber as she caught up to him one bound, her tights somehow enduring the friction against the floor and not ripping with her sudden stop. </p><p>*SHI-*</p><p>Having to block on such short notice, his block was bound to have shortcomings and openings. If Saber had decided to challenge it directly, his arms wouldn’t have found enough strength to block it, and he would have been hit by his own shinai, the awkward twist of his body and arms preventing his muscles from exerting the power necessary to hold her off. As it was, Saber chose to shift her trajectory, a slight twist on the blade producing a complete swerve on the tip of the blade as it passed just around his guard and hammered against his ribs. </p><p>“Kah!”</p><p>“Again.”</p><p>Removing her sword from his torso, she stepped back and went back to her original position, taking up the same stance she had started with, her eyes holding no mercy or compassion for him at all. All there was in those green pools was the determination to teach her Master how to survive. </p><p>Shirou stood up in response, though he winced when he stretched the muscles as he back straightened, the ribs protesting against his movement. It was already far more gentler than most of the hits he’d sustained last time, but it was still a heavy blow for him. </p><p>If he gave up after just this much, he wouldn’t be called Emiya Shirou though.</p><p>Trusting Avalon to keep him going, he stood opposite Saber once more, mimicking his own stance from earlier as well. </p><p>“HAA!”</p><p>…</p><p>It felt like time had lost meaning, or rather that the meaning had been beaten out of him as the session continued. The injuries accumulated, lactic acid burning into his muscles as sweat flooded out of the pores of his skin. If it was summer, he would be maneuvering in his own pools of sweat dripping from his body. With the winter chill hanging in the air though, only a few droplets stained the floor. Time and time again, he fell to his knees, slammed on his back, sat on the ground, keeled over or was sent stumbling backward, his hands desperately spinning the blade, his eyes darting everywhere in search of a way to strike back, to no avail. </p><p>The sun was already hanging in the sky, though the clouds had started to cover its radiance, when the session came to its midpoint. </p><p>Lowering her shinai, Saber took a step back from Shirou as he lay on the floor after his latest defeat, only his chest moving as it rose and fell with each breath he took. </p><p>“Let's have a short rest.”</p><p>Going to the corner of the room, she picked up two bottles of water and a towel prepared beforehand, </p><p>Saber walked over to Shirou, who was still recuperating, his body wrung through the training until he didn’t even have the energy to sit up. Kneeling next to him, she pressed the towel on his forehead, placing the bottle next to his head as it settled on the floor with a soft tap. </p><p>They shared a moment of silence, Saber taking a courtesy sip of her own bottle as Shirou lay there, his eyes wide open, but his body unwilling to move. </p><p>“Shirou, I can just pour it into your mouth if you can’t get up.”</p><p>He immediately sat up, though a flash of pain surged through his body. </p><p>“Ah, I’m fine, thanks Saber.”</p><p>A pained smile on his face and his trembling hands as he opened the bottle were the only indications of the suffering he was enduring as he downed the water, gulping it like a man lost in the desert. </p><p>The towel was halfway soaked through as he finished drinking the water, not drinking too much so that he didn’t get a full stomach. Neither of them spoke to each other, simply resting their body and minds in that short interval between the frenetic activity they were experiencing.</p><p>The break ended when Saber stood up and picked up her shinai again from where it was resting on the ground, taking up the same position as usual in front of the plaques. </p><p>“Shirou, it’s time.”</p><p>By now, his body was loosened up enough that he didn’t feel particularly nervous, his mind already slipping into a focused state of concentration to face off against Saber. Placing the towel and bottle to their respective positions, he picked up the shinai that had been wrenched out of his grasp from his last defeat, his eyes clear and his hands steadier. Avalon worked its magic, soothing the bruises and the marks on his skin, with minor injuries such as these easily dealt with, though for him to fully recover he’d need a good night’s sleep as well to wash away the fatigue and give time for Avalon to purge the injuries.</p><p>As the practice resumed, Saber couldn’t help but feel a little bit impressed by Shirou. On the first day, he had been defeated after the first blow for almost three hours, unable to put up anything more than a half-hearted block or a mistimed dodge that ended up with a painful smack on various parts of his body. By the end of the first training sessions though, he had managed to at least dodge one or two strikes, his perception of her moves improving by a massive margin when compared with how he was starting out. Yesterday, he was able to prolong the average time of their fights to around seven or eight seconds, with the longest one lasting fifteen as he rolled and dodged desperately with a luck parry included in as well. </p><p>The blows and pain that he endured carved into his body the instinct to survive, eah strike teaching him the consequence of his actions, showing him the gap between his opponents and himself. If it was mortal combat they were in, he would have died hundreds, no thousands of times already against Saber. The one-in-a-million chance of him beating Saber was just that, a one in a million chance that had yet to occur, and would most likely never occur even if he continued to fight for a million times in this dojo against Saber. </p><p>But because he knew he couldn’t beat Saber at all, his body honed his instinct to survive, his will to defeat her one day, impossible thought it may be, burning inside his body and telling them as long as he survived the next second, the first glimpse of the road to victory could appear. No matter how many times he fell, his hope never faded, and deep down the desire that his foster father had given him refused to back down in the face of the insurmountable mountain that was Saber. </p><p>“I’ll become one for you. Leave your dream to me.”</p><p>For this reason, even though he was only improving by seconds, even if it was only ten seconds with which he could stand against a Servant holding most of her strength back, he would not falter. He would not be discouraged, or acknowledge that it was useless. He knew it could be useless, but even so there was always the chance that those ten seconds he could buy would become crucial in the future. If he had given up against Lancer, he wouldn’t be alive right now. If he stayed at the school after being healed, he would have died again and thrown away the life that his anonymous saviour had given him. If he gave up in this hellish practice against Saber, who knew what the consequence would be in the future. </p><p>Stubbornly, he clung, his vision darkening sometimes with a heavier blow, his legs feeling like they would crumble at any moment, the handle of his shinai slick with sweat as his ribs, chest, stomach and back burned, but he persisted. Slowly, bit by bit, instinct was shoved into his body with each hit, his mind growing a little sharper, his movements a little smoother, his reactions a little faster. Though his improvement could be measured in milliseconds, it was still a definite improvement. </p><p>If he couldn’t win right now, he’d keep fighting until he did. </p><p>Still, it wasn’t like he wasn’t frustrated. His feelings simmered within him, a burning desire to improve in leaps and bounds, to be able to fight alongside Saber and Caster, to at the very least be as capable as Souichirou-sensei. The strength that had been given to him, that he relied on every fight, was leaning on them the only thing he could do? </p><p>The smoldering emotion in his heart that he wasn’t aware of grew as the session dragged on, his instincts growing as he continuously fought against Saber over and over. Like a glass that spilled once it was full, it was inevitable that that would happen. </p><p>With a swift flourish, he was once again disarmed like so many times in the past, though it had taken significantly longer than before, almost a full thirty seconds. The shinai descended, a blurry nut brown line that bent, with a white tip that was poised to smack onto his shoulder blade, his shoulders also in the line of attack. </p><p>The world flashed, the image of her movements and sword exploding in his mind, filling it until there was nothing else. Grasping at straws, his instincts screamed at him to survive, his body automatically doing what it needed to.</p><p>I can’t die!</p><p>“Trace. On.”</p><p>Saber could see his lips moving, but the words were spoken in the heart. A resounding click echoed in his head, Circuits that were once dormant now filling up with energy, viridescent lines of mana that now flowed freely in Shirou’s body thanks to Caster.</p><p>*Kok!*</p><p>*Shwip*</p><p>Saber jumped back, her eyebrows raised as her mind gasped in disbelief, though her face remained calm with her battle ‘mask’ in place. </p><p>Without knowing it, without even thinking, he had traced the practice sword he had seen last night and brought into the future, copying her movements that he had seen her repeat over and over in that forest clearing, her vigorous form burned into his memory. </p><p>It was a clumsy replication at best, with loose footwork and sloppy execution. In addition, his body’s state made it even worse, a poor copy that would embarrass even the childhood Saber.</p><p>But it was enough to make Saber retreat for the very first time in their practice sessions, sensing that something was off with Shirou all of a sudden. The appearance of her old practice sword made her widen her eyes even more, recognition sparking at the sight of that familiar shape and grain patterns swirling on the surface.</p><p>“Shirou…”</p><p>Coming to his senses, Shirou realized that he was holding the practice sword of last night’s dream. With a start, he dropped the sword, the weapon returning to nothing as he stopped maintaining its existence. Backpedaling, his feet carried him to the door of the dojo.</p><p>“I’ll um, I’ll go to the toilet Saber.”</p><p>Saber did nothing to stop him as he left, a peculiar expression on her face as she stared at the spot on the floor where her practice sword of old had rested a moment ago.</p>
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<a name="section0161"><h2>161. Chapter 161</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 161</p><p>Miles away, in a humble house tucked into the side of the hill within Miyama district, Gray slept in peacefully in the cozy bed prepared in the safehouse, her silver hair splayed across the pillow as she dreamt of a galaxy far, far away. </p><p>Drifting in a ship that comically looked like a child’s drawing of a rocket, the words Dun Stallion II painted on the side in bold blue letters, though the paint didn’t seem to so much as flake in the vacuum of space, with unshielded radiation and starlight hammering on it. Round portholes lined it’s length, with a large cross near the main thruster at the end of the ship's main body. Two maneuverable boosters were attached to its sides, completing the appearance of a stereotypical rocket. </p><p>The rocket itself wasn’t very large, perhaps around the size of a regular trailer truck, but the insides had been expanded with generous usage of SWAG (Spatial Warp Alternating Generator) manufactured by Tesla Inc., creating enough space that the interior was more like a typical mansion you could find from a rich magus family like the Edelfelts.</p><p>There were enough rooms for a squad of people to live in, with space left over, and there were recreation rooms, a canteen, a shared bath with a mini onsen installed, a miniature swimming pool that doubled as shipping tank for aquatic creatures and goods, a kitchen, a garden and a room filled with tanks, canisters and complicated equipment that Assassin had already forgotten the purpose of, To say that they had utilized the space well was an overstatement. Rather, she had simply crammed as many things as she wanted until it was full to bursting. </p><p>On the couches located in the recreation room, Gray sat up, blinking her eyes under the harsh white light that shone from illumination strips on the ceiling. Looking around she stared at the unfamiliar surroundings she was in, so far from what she remembered in her half-conscious state as she was carried into the safehouse. </p><p>Arcade machines, or what looked like arcade machines, were stacked from wall to wall, her surroundings completely engulfed by them as she turned her head, her eyes travelling across the room. </p><p>There were antique arcade games, pinball shooters, air hockey, motor and car racing, shooting sims, wheel games, mole whackers, crane games and more. Some of them looked incredibly old, with scratches on the sides, faded signs and scuffed controls, while others were incredibly new, with one still covered from head to toe in plastic wrapping. A few had headsets and what looked like latex gloves with a small circle that was glowing, and one was a futuristic looking pod that looked like an escape pod straight out of a sci-fi movie. </p><p>Sneezing, Gray rubbed her nose, the dust in the air irritating her sinus. It looked like the room had been unused for some time, either that or the ventilation system had broken down. It was uncomfortably warm here, though it wasn’t to the degree that she’d start sweating, but straddling the line between being warmer than usual and breaking out in sweat. </p><p>Quickly getting her bearings, Gray slid off the couch and walked towards the closest door, or what looked like a door. It was more like a circular slab of steel that was opened like a camera lens, several lens crossing and connecting at the center. </p><p>Before she could reach the door, it opened by itself. </p><p>“Damn, how’d we run out of fuel already? I thought we topped up on Artorium after the last bounty we got.”</p><p>Striding through the swiveling hatch, Assassin strode through into the room and plopped down on the couch, all her clothing removed except for her bloomers and school gym uniform. Though she was barefoot against the metal floor, she didn’t seem to mind it at all, and her hair was untied, cascading down to her shoulders. </p><p>“Aaaahhh...So hot. If only the fridge was still working.”</p><p>Gray patted herself all over, frantically checking if there was something wrong with herself after Assassin walked straight through her like a ghost. Her hands remained solid as she patted herself, the clothes she wore ruffling against her touch. </p><p>Ah, could it be?</p><p>Her mentor had told her of the possibility to share dreams with a Servant, to see the past of a Servant through their dreams, and the reverse was also true as well. Perhaps, this was what she was currently experiencing?</p><p>Whatever the case, it didn’t seem like Assassin had noticed her. The Servant had flopped on the couch and was currently lazing on it while swinging a paper fan in her hand, the sheen of sweat covering her skin and reflecting the light, making them shine under the industrial strength lights above. Her clothes clung tightly to her skin, accentuating the few curves that Assassin possessed, not completely absent, but still far from the womanly proportions of Lancer and Ruler. If she sweated any more, the shape of her bra would probably be visible. </p><p>She let out another long sigh as she lay there, the couch fabric slowly darkening as her sweat fell on the blue wool. </p><p>“It’s like Tatoovine with the heat that’s going on in this ship. All the support systems were switched until only the essential functions remained, and even though temperature shouldn’t affect Servant bodies, it’s still too damned hot. Uuuuhhhhh…”</p><p>Assassin mumbled to herself, her word getting increasingly incoherent by the end. </p><p>Gray hesitantly stretched out her hand towards Assassin, but it stopped midway. If this was a dream, there truly was nothing she could do. The hand that was held out retracted, returning beneath the folds of her cloak. </p><p>Without warning, the lights on the ceiling flickered, the room plunging into darkness then switching back to full brightness like a strobe light, then they failed completely. A rumble shook the spaceship, anything that wasn’t bolted down shifting in their positions from the shipwide quake. Gray instinctively hit the floor, though in her dream form the sensation couldn’t hurt her. </p><p>Red emergency lights she hadn’t noticed before started flashing above, turning the room a blood red, and a flat, mechanical female voice started speaking over an intercom system placed in every room and hallway throughout the ship. </p><p>“Emergency landing ETA projected at 3 minutes Solar time. All personnel, brace for impact. Atmospheric entry in, approximately 1 minute. All personnel brace for impact.”</p><p>The voice repeated the lines, including some about securing all fragile goods, furniture, stowing away volatile substances, checking the seals on demonic artifacts and some other things that Gray didn’t understand, and then the ship turned into a bungee castle. </p><p>The furniture flew up into the air, the entire couch with Assassin smacking into the ceiling, passing through Gray as the Master gently floated into the air, unperturbed by the disturbances. The turbulence increased in ferocity as the tables went flying across the room, one of them snapping in half as the corner hit one of the arcade machines bolted to the ground, wood splinters floating in the air as Assassin and the couch went back to the ground, though upside down. </p><p>Klaxons screamed, emergency lights flashing intermittently, and objects flew left and right in the room. The room increased to an even hotter temperature, enough to start cooking eggs, though Gray just felt a slight increase. Between it all, Assassin bounced like a ragdoll in the chaos, actually sleeping while being flung around randomly, or at least that was what it looked like to Gray. Drool escaped her lips, her fan somehow still securely gripped as her body contorted into positions that were obscene for a human being when she impacted on the hard surfaces. Then she bounced off and reverted to normal.</p><p>When they finally crashed on the planet, and Assassin still didn’t get up, Gray realized she was just knocked out from the start after slamming head first into the ceiling.</p>
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<a name="section0162"><h2>162. Chapter 162</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 162</p><p>It was a while before Assassin woke up after being smacked around inside the recreation room, but thanks to her Servant body, all she had were a couple of bruises to show for it. </p><p>“Uuuu...this sucks.”</p><p>Pulling herself free from the wreckage and debris of the furniture strewn across the room, now upside down with the arcade machines on the ceiling and the lights on the floor. Gray watched as Assassin lifted up chunks of the hardwood coffee table with ease, hurling them carelessly into the dark corners of the room as she freed herself. </p><p>“I’ll need to replace the furniture again. Please let there be bounty targets on the planet.”</p><p>Her fervent prayer for cash was familiar to her lips as she was frequently broke. </p><p>She walked over the debris until she came to the door. Dragging off a sheet of steel that was probably tabletop, but missing a few legs, the entrance to the room was revealed behind it. The hatch door groaned as she tugged at the crack in the middle, pulling on it until the gears finally relented under her strength, the crack expanding until she could fit through. Putting her head through the gap, she managed to wriggle through, her slender frame allowing her to slide through without much problem. Gray followed behind her, wriggling in a similar manner. </p><p>Traversing through the upside down hallways of the ship, Assassin padded through the ship until she reached the cockpit, with Gray following behind her to not get lost. Along the way, Gray saw other places, including a room sealed with yellow tape with symbols and signs that screamed danger, a room with a transparent door filled with robots, glass tanks bubbling with unknown liquid, and a kitchen with a plate of nasty looking curry-like substance that was dried up in some areas. </p><p>In the cockpit, Assassin flipped a few switches, the red lights and klaxons that were blaring all the way switching off, then she tapped a touchpad screen a few times.</p><p>It didn’t respond. </p><p>*KON*</p><p>It lit up after she slammed her palm into it, lines of indecipherable letters and numbers running across the screen, while Assassin stared at them intently. </p><p>“Hmm, let’s see, ok, ok. Low on that, low on this...alright, should be fine. Time to head out then.”</p><p>Ascertaining the resources she was low on and the places of damage on the ship, she switched off the diagnostic panel and left the cockpit, heading to her room to change into proper clothes for her excursion on this unknown planet. </p><p>After putting on her signature clothing and getting her Secretcalibur from an armory filled with weapons ranging from lightsabers to water guns, she left the ship, some sort of gadget that Gray couldn’t recognize in her hand, with a handle and a screen along with two long antennae sticking out the top like a on a FM radio. </p><p>Exiting through the emergency hatch, Assassin leapt out, and was immediately assaulted by burning rays of sunlight that threatened to turn normal humans into dried husks within a day. Sand shifted beneath her feet as she stood up, and the air shimmered from the heat, the refractive index constantly changing and distorting her vision. Gray slid down the side of the ship, her hands feeling the warm touch of the sun kissed metal that was in reality able to start frying eggs. </p><p>Assassin’s eyes narrowed in irritation at the scenery in front of her, tugging her scarf closer over her face to shield it from the radiation, the brim of her cap lower, though it wasn’t necessary with her body. It was so dry she could practically feel her skin crackle as moisture escaped it, every breath of air she breathed in scorching her lungs. Or that was what she felt, but her Servant body was functioning just fine. </p><p>Looking up in the sky, Gray could see three suns hovering in the pale blue expanse, two of them significantly larger than the third, with one closer to a bluish white, while the other two were brilliantly white. No clouds drifted in the sky, with any speck of moisture in the land vaporized in seconds under the harsh rays of sunlight. </p><p>Sighing, Assassin started walking, switching on the sensor for Artorium, energy sources and life forms, a slow beeping filling the air as it started scanning. </p><p>Under the burning gaze of not one, not two, but three suns, Assassin doggedly trudged through the sand, putting one foot in front of the other as she traversed the desert, doing her best to ignore the heat and the growling in her stomach that was subtly growing louder with each step. </p><p>She had gotten lost after her last bounty taking out a rogue Saber gallivanting in the Bit system, a madman who was supposedly searching for his wife and mistakenly seizing any females with red hair as her, which the Bit system happened to be full of. After ranting half a day about his wife, Assassin had simply cut him down when he was exhausted about talking about ‘Siva’, or whoever it was. He had ended up crying and wailing as he was cuffed and taken into the Galactic Police’s custody, yelling at the heavens to see his wife again. It was a sad sight to see, but Artoria had little sympathy to spare for him as she was low on funds. </p><p>Before she had the chance to claim her rewards, she happened to bump into a couple of mercenaries contracted to hunt her by a crime lord she pissed off before after learning they shared a similar name. ‘Mysterious M’ was a serious ripoff of her own, and she had no choice but to act to preserve her dignity. </p><p>The gentleman survived, but his operations were disrupted, and he had sent people after her. An epic space chase ensued, with Assassin barely escaping them after using the last of her energy reserves to jump into a random set of coordinates. </p><p>She was then lost in a gravitational anomaly that threw off the last of her pursuers, and then drifted until a sudden spike in activity of the anomaly flung her ship into a warp that deposited her ship next to this planet, which thankfully seemed to be inhabited, though the population was sparse. After checking with her maps, she had plotted a crash course into the planet with her thrusters, and now here she was. </p><p>In the midst of walking in an endless desert, a ping from the sensor drew her attention to a blip nearby. It looked to be, around somewhere to the right. Picking up the pace, she started jogging towards the spot, eager to get out of the heat as soon as possible. </p><p>Slowly, a dot appeared on the horizon, then it grew in size, until it became close enough to see. A rectangular building appeared, with some sort of figure next to the entrance. It had nothing to distinguish it, no windows, no openings, no vents or anything. All the walls were caked with so much sand that they blended in with the surroundings, the entire building almost invisible from a distance. As she came closer, she realised the figure was a female statue, with a sword piercing a bowl of noodles. She came to a stop in front of the building, not even one-storey tall, and read the sign in red and white above the entrance. </p><p>“Seiba Menya (Saber ramen house).”</p><p>It was a ramen shop. In the middle of nowhere.</p><p>Shrugging, she entered through the curtains covering the entrance, her stomach growling for food. If it served ramen, then it was safe. A ramen shop could never be bad.</p>
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<a name="section0163"><h2>163. Chapter 163</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 163</p><p>The curtains parted easily, the rough cloth scraping against her baseball cap as it slid over her head while she ducked underneath it. There was nothing much to see behind it, with a few dingy lights on the ceiling casting dim light over a tunnel that stretched downwards, dust coating the walls and floors, coarse sandstone steps leading down. A few faded posters clung onto the walls tenaciously, though the words were chipped and the color almost gone. All Gray could see were the faint outlines of a bowl of ramen, and some exclamation marks on most of them. </p><p>There was however, a working monitor embedded in the wall, and Assassin walked over to it, using her hand to wipe away the dust covering the screen. </p><p>The screen may have been dusty, but it was functioning just fine beneath the layer of fine sand, albeit with the occasional flickering static that occurred every few seconds. </p><p>Behind the plastic cover that protected the actual screen, with spider webbing cracks from the top left corner, a face was shown, with one large word above it.</p><p>“WANTED”</p><p>Beneath the face, a brief description was written, along with the part Assassin was most focused on, the row of numbers with a stylized ‘A’ symbol next to it.</p><p>“ ‘Bonnie’ Brynhildr &amp; ‘Clyde’ Sigurd, 1 million Artorium for one, 3 million for both. Preferred alive, but reward will be paid dead or alive. Proof of bounty: demonic sword ‘Gram’ &amp; ‘Lance of Burning Love’ *not to be confused with Galactic Police officer Kiyohime’s ‘Draconic Flaming Passion’ naginata”</p><p>Once her eyes finished scanning over the paragraph, her lips curved into a grin. This was her chance to score a big job and lift in comfort for the next four months or so. </p><p>Humming to herself, she descended the stairs into the ramen shop, her sensor stowed away as she anticipated the bowl of ramen. </p><p>Gray stared at the screen, trying to make sense of the words, but she simply couldn’t understand them, though the format of the poster reminded her of those wanted posters from the Wild West movies that Flat had watched for a week. On the poster, a picture of a handsome man with spiky black and white hair, a strong jaw and green eyes framed by angular glasses that exuded an air of coolness. And wisdom, perhaps.</p><p>The other picture placed next to his was that of a woman with an apologetic expression, along with flowing white hair that extended out of the frame, and a winged crown that stretched around her head, with purple and blue feathers complementing her lush, shiny hair. Gray unconsciously gulped at the features of the two, entranced by their faces, even though they were only virtual copies that paled in comparison to the real thing. </p><p>When she realized Assassin’s steps were receding down the stairs, she quickly hurried after her, tearing her gaze away from the two faces featured on the bounty notice. </p><p>Down the stairs, the smell of ramen broth, seven spice flavouring, flour and strangely, metal and smoke, started filling the air, enticing Assassin’s taste buds and making her saliva start to pour into her mouth. Stars lit up in her eyes, and her pace quickened, taking the steps three at a time downward, with Gray doing her best to catch from behind to match her enthusiastic speed. </p><p>The dingy yellow lights gave way to a warm orange light, and before they knew it, they had come to the bottom of the stairs.</p><p>In front of them, the delicious scent of soy-based broth and tonkotsu beckoned, with a long wooden board stretching the length of the kitchen, simple wooden stools serving as the seats in the restaurant. Round lanterns in the style of traditional Japanese tōrō hung above, casting their glow over the counter, while on the inside of the kitchen brighter lights shone, bright enough that they had to be electric. Pots of condiments were placed at regular intervals, with garlic crushers, shakers of salt and pepper, sesame seeds, sesame oil, chili oil, vinegar, yuzukosho and more. It was fully stocked with everything a ramen connoisseur would want, and more, with several suspiciously labelled ones like ‘Crushed Dragon Fang’ and ‘Void’s Dust’.</p><p>Behind the counter, whole pots of broth steamed and bubbled, with bundles of ramen sitting neatly side-by-side in stacks, enough to feed a lunch-hour rush’s worth of office workers. Chashu, the barbecued meat that was often served alongside ramen, were lying whole in metal containers, waiting to be sliced, and there were other containers filled with seaweed, soft-boiled eggs, green onions, bean sprouts and corn, to name a few. </p><p>But to Assassin and Gray, only one thing stood out. </p><p>Which was the couple sitting right in front of them, currently in the process of feeding each other, making even the act of eating ramen romantic, with their arms each other as they held the chopsticks containing pieces of chashu to each others mouths, staring deeply into each other’s eyes while the man’s free arm circled around the woman’s waist, the woman’s hand on his thigh. </p><p>Gray blinked, and immediately recognized them. </p><p>They were the faces on the poster before. </p><p>Assassin took one step towards them, then another, her eyes steeled and determined as she stared straight forward. On her head, the ahoge stood up stiffly, like an antenna reaching towards the sky. </p><p>Gray watched on nervously, her hands gripping each other tightly in place of the bird cage that she usually carried with Add. </p><p>And watched as Assassin slid right past the two into an open seat, her gaze locked onto the piles of ramen and the soup in the back of the kitchen. Right as she slid into the seat, a small girl ran into the kitchen from a door to the far left, connecting to another space behind the kitchen. Dressed in a pink yukata with varying shades to form line patterns, and a row of sakura flowers along the left side going down to her feet, her dark hair was tied in a bun, and she smiled as she leapt up onto a wooden box hidden behind the counter, asking Assassin in a cheerful voice as her cheeks dimpled. Her hands pressed against the counter, propping her a little bit higher.</p><p>“What’ll you have missus?”</p><p>Her childish voice could be clearly heard over a constant clanging sounding out from the door she came through, and since the couple didn’t react to her presence, she was probably the one who had served them. They didn’t pay attention to Assassin either, completely ignoring her in favor of continuing their couple food play. </p><p>“I’ll have tonkotsu space ramen, with extra chashu.”</p><p>Gray had no idea what the inclusion of space meant, but maybe it was just the custom of Assassin’s galaxy. </p><p>Without missing a beat, the girl leapt off the stool and raced towards the stacks of ramen, prepared to make the dish. </p><p>“Kay’. one serving of tonkotsu space ramen with extra chashu coming right up!”</p><p>The clanging abruptly stopped in the background, and through the door that the girl came through, another man walked out. </p><p>“Onui, how many times do I have to tell you that you can leave the cooking to me? Just deal with the customers, and I’ll deal with the food. Good grief, you sure forget things fast despite being so young.”</p><p>With his appearance, Onui seemed to deflate, and she scurried back into the doorway that the two had come from. </p><p>*sigh*</p><p>“Sorry bout that, she’s always raring to go even though she can barely hold the knife to chop chashu. I’ll be in charge of the ramen, just sit tight and wait young ‘un.”</p><p>“Young one?”</p><p>“Yes. Looks can be deceiving, and I can tell you’re as young as you look.”</p><p>“And you’re not?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>With that, the man turned his back to Assassin and started working on the ramen, his toned back and muscles rippling as he moved, the product of years, decades, perhaps even centuries, spent hammering on an anvil. Strangely, though his upper body was mostly naked, he wore a red cloth wrapped around his left arm, covering his shoulder, part of his left chest, and extending all the way to the heel of his palm. </p><p>Once again, Gray blinked as the face registered in her mind, the face matching up to someone knew she actually knew in real life. </p><p>Wasn’t that Shirou Emiya?</p>
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<a name="section0164"><h2>164. Chapter 164.5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 164.5 </p><p>The unusually bright sunlight streaming into the room did nothing to wake up Tohsaka Rin. Nor did the alarm clocking, ringing and vibrating with all it’s might, slowly creeping to the edge of the bed stand with how hard it was actually shaking. Clad in her cat print pajamas, all she wanted to do was stay in bed and sleep the day away, until she felt like waking up. Turning her face away from the alarm clock, she pulled the covers over head and kept her eyes closed, determined to stay asleep. </p><p>The irritating shriek of the ringing bell failed to abate, and after a few more moments spent futilely trying to enter sleep again, she grumbled and left the covers, peeling it off her body as she swung her legs off the bed to step on the cool wooden floorboards. Walking over to the alarm clock, she caught it just as it was about to fall off onto the floor, roughly dropping it back on the bed stand after she switched off the alarm.</p><p>With bedraggled hair, half-closed eyes and a listlessly open mouth, she slowly shambled into the toilet, her body moving on autopilot as it did it’s best to keep her from swerving back into the inviting sheets of the warm bed she had just left. A clattering sound could be heard from the bedroom, followed by more sounds that would concern any stranger, though it was all just part of Rin’s normal morning routine. It took a while, but the strange sounds stopped, and finally the sounds that one would expect to hear started appearing in sequence, the water flowing into a sink, the flushing of a toilet, gargling water.</p><p>The door creaked open, opening a smidge, before Rin pushed it again, making the gap wider since the first nudge wasn’t enough. While she wasn’t going to fall into the bed again, she was still far from being awake, and more work was needed to kickstart her brain into it’s usual sharpness. Even washing her face with cold water wasn’t enough to do so. </p><p>Her bare feet padded against the stairs, her eyes open just enough to see the steps so she didn’t trip. It didn’t take long for her to reach the kitchen, and she reached for the teapot resting on the counter, pouring herself a cup of tea. A fragrant herbal scent filled her nose, stimulating her tongue and mind. Already feeling more awake just from sniffing the tea, she raised the cup to her lips and sipped the murky liquid with a green tint, slowly drinking it instead of downing in one gulp some of her school acquaintances would. </p><p>The effects were immediate. When she put the cup back onto the counter, her eyes were wide-open and shining with a bright spark in her irises, her posture changing from being slightly slumped forward to instead standing straight, the commanding air she usually had once more present. Running a hand through her tousled hair, she let out a sigh. </p><p>“Time to get ready for school.”</p><p>The rest of her morning routine passed by in a blur as she commenced in a most efficient manner, dressing herself, doing her hair, making breakfast and everything else a Japanese highschool girl needed to do before going to school. By the time she was done, there was still plenty of time for her to walk to school along the usual route, since running to school would be inelegant. At all times, she had to show her best self to others, maintaining her public image except to a select few.</p><p>Wearing the standard issue Homurahara Academy school jacket, she set off from her house, her shoes clicking on the pavement as the black iron gate slid shut with a clang behind her. </p><p>.On the way to school, there was nothing out of the ordinary. The weather was the same as usual, the people she saw on the way to school, though not many, were mostly people she recognized. There were no traffic accidents, exploding gas leaks or anything strange, it was just an ordinary walk to school, like the many other days preceding it. Yet she couldn’t help but feel that something was off today, and she couldn’t shake the feeling of having eyes on her back. She resisted the urge to turn around and look, instead continuing to walk normally, but she also felt like there were more people looking at her than usual as well, with fellow students in the uniform of her school whispering to each other. </p><p>Was something going on today?</p><p>She racked her brain over the announcements of the school, about anything regarding a special event held today, but nothing came up. Their athletic meet was already over, tests were still a few weeks off, most of the clubs having little to do after the competitive season, so there really wasn’t anything she could think of that would have her fellow students acting so suspiciously. It was particularly strange that they would also look at her too, throwing her sideways glance and furtive gazes, from both male and female students, though the proportion of male students doing so were much higher, whereas most of the female students met her gaze and politely waved at her.</p><p>She was already well-known in Homurahara, and her reputation was first among all the female students, with few other people coming close. Only other students like Ryuudou Issei came close to her level of renown, and in terms of popularity she far outstripped them. So it was only natural for other students to greet her when they passed by. </p><p>When she reached the school, the strangeness increased even further. She could practically feel the tension crackling in the air, but her magical senses didn’t detect anything amiss. If there was anything wrong, it was most likely of mundane origin instead of mystical, but again she couldn’t tell what was wrong. The teachers didn’t seem to be very bothered, but almost all of the students seemed to be nervous in one way or another, with some barely casting a glance at any one else to speed walk straight into the school, others excitedly chattering with their friends while walking as their eyes danced around on various people. In particular, there were a lot of people carrying an extra bag today. Was there some special event she had forgotten about today?</p><p>Racking her brain, she still couldn’t come up with anything, and her frustration grew. Had she missed an announcement in class? But she had been attentive from dawn to dusk in every school activity, and there was no way she could have missed something school-related. </p><p>Also, it seemed like there were a lot more people heading to school early like her. </p><p>Walking through the gates, she cast a glance at the teacher standing at the gates, one Fujimura Taiga. For some reason, unlike the other teachers, she seemed to be incredibly agitated, aggressively accosting the students that showed even the slightest hint of being rowdy, checking the bags that students brought, and being a pain in the ass in general. Nobody dared to speak up against her though, despite the more casual relationship she had with her students when compared to her fellow colleagues, and none of the teachers came to tell her to tone it down either. Rin smiled wryly to herself at the sight of the shinai clutched in the short haired teacher's hand, the likely culprit for the lack of interference of her shameless behaviour harassing the students.</p><p>Still, why was she acting like that? Did she not get enough to eat for breakfast perhaps?</p><p>Deep in thought, she passed Taiga after giving the teacher a greeting, and trod into the school, heading towards her shoe locker to exchange footwear. </p><p>The moment she opened her locker, it all became clear.</p><p>Stuffed to the brim, from wall to wall, ceiling to ceiling, crowding the space until her indoor shoes couldn’t even be seen, were boxes of fancily wrapped gifts, some of them with cards, others without. </p><p>Her eyebrows twitched once, then she calmed herself. </p><p>Reaching into the cramped space, she delicately pulled one out, taking care not to imbalance the rest and cause an avalanche of boxes to tumble out. She pulled out the card placed under the decorative ribbon of the box, a pleasing thickness with a wavy texture over the card. The rest of the box was a deep crimson, while the card itself was pure white. On the face of the card, there was a stylized heart with the words ‘with love’ written in cursive font below it. Steeling her heart, she flipped open the card to read its contents.</p><p>“Tohsaka-san,</p><p>I’ve been enamoured with you for a long while now. Ever since I saw you standing on the first day of school, twintails waving in the air as you exuded an air of…”</p><p>She skimmed through the entire card, then placed the box and the card back into the locker and pulled out another one.</p><p>“Roses are red, <br/>Violets are blue,<br/>My heart is yours,<br/>But do you love me too?</p><p>-Toda Kasumi”</p><p>At least this one was short. She tucked it back into the heart shaped box it was attached to, and then proceeded onto the rest. </p><p>It took her some time, but she managed to read, or skim through all of them before the bell rang, and since she didn’t have enough space in her bag to take them all, she just left them in the locker, deciding to borrow a plastic bag later to take all of them home. </p><p>She was unsurprised to find that her desk drawer was also occupied, though not as full as her shoe locker, where it was brimming with chocolates. The ones placed in her drawer were much smaller in size, though they were no less inferior in quality than the ones in her shoe locker. </p><p>“T-tohsaka-san!”</p><p>A girl ran up to her desk, thrusting a carefully wrapped gift box in front of Rin’s face. </p><p>“Please accept this!”</p><p>Without missing a beat, Rin stood up and graciously took the chocolate out of the girls hands, a smile plastered on her face as she tried to link the face of the girl to a name.</p><p>“Thank you, Ha──ruichi-san.”</p><p>Though she wasn’t from her class, it wasn’t too hard to memorize most of the people in her grade. Not just her grade, but most of the students in clubs and in important positions too, she had them all memorized. It was another part of what cemented her place in the school, the effort she’d put in to stand at the top of the social hierarchy. </p><p>As if motivated by the first girl, others joined in, a flood of girls streaming to Rin’s seat to give her chocolate for Valentine’s Day. In fact, all of the chocolate she received in the locker and the desk drawer was from her fellow female students. </p><p>She was simply that popular, idolized by both the male and female population of the school. </p><p>“Tohsaka-san, h-here, I made some chocolate for you.”</p><p>Yukika’s face was adorable as she looked away, a slight blush on her cheek, while handing the handmade chocolate to Rin. </p><p>“Ah, thank you so much Yuki-chan. You can call me Rin-chan you know.”</p><p>“I-I’m still not used to it yet, but I’ll try my best.”</p><p>“Where’s our chocolate Yuki-chan? How come she gets it first, eeehhh?”</p><p>Kaede pressured the timid girl, with Kane sticking herself between the two in order to save Yukika and calm down Kaede. Of course, Kaede wasn’t really serious, and was just teasing her friend.</p><p>“Well, it’s not like I don’t have anything for you though. Here you go Rin-chan.”</p><p>She promptly dropped a four bar Kit Kat onto Rin’s desk, the green wrapping advertising the matcha flavour with double filling. </p><p>Rin stared at the treat on her desk, then looked back at Kaede.</p><p>“You bought it this morning at 7-Eleven didn’t you.”</p><p>“Wha-I don’t know what you’re talking about! I properly bought it a day before you know?”</p><p>“I don’t think that’s the problem here.”</p><p>Kane butted in as well, her indifferent voice refuting Kaede as she munched on the Kit Kat Kaede had given her earlier. </p><p>“The fact that you prepared a Kit Kat bar says a lot about how much thought you put into this.”</p><p>Kaede narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, though she knew that Kane was right in that she’d just bought this on a spur of the moment decision after remembering the date.</p><p>“At least I bought chocolate for you guys! I didn’t get anything else at all for anyone besides you three. Come to think of it, you haven’t given any giri-choco yet have you Kane-chan?”</p><p>Standing up at her full height, she wasn’t really that tall, but she still towered over Kane seating down. Seeing Kaede getting fired up, Rin interceded for the two of them.</p><p>“Ah, I don’t really mind it at all, I like the matcha flavoured Kit Kat bar as well. I’m happy that Kaede-chan chose something that I liked, it’s really thoughtful.”</p><p>It was true that though Kaede had given little thought to the affair, she had at least made the effort to pick something that the three girls would probably like. She knew Rin liked tea based on her daily routine and drink of choice when eating with them, so she picked matcha flavour. As for Kane, she chose the dark chocolate version of regular Kit Kat, and Yukika received strawberry flavoured bars. </p><p>“I’m also glad, Kaede-chan. You picked something suitable for each of us separately after considering our tastes. You really notice a lot of things.”</p><p>Yukika’s gentle smile made Kaede’s previous grumpiness at Kane’s rebuke evaporate, her energetic grin returning. </p><p>“Of course, I spend most of my time with you three after all. I’d have to be blind to not know a thing about your favourites!”</p><p>“I suppose the Kit Kat is quite nice.”</p><p>Kane’s monotone reply only made Kaede smile wider.</p><p>“As for my giri-choco, here you go.”</p><p>Kaede’s jaw dropped when she saw the transparent box with curving lines and motifs resembling flowers and vines wrapping the outside. The box was exquisite in it’s own right, with a deep vermillion blending with painted greenery on the inside of the box as the background, but the chocolate was the real eye-catcher there. It was artisanal, but it looked delicious as well, an array of patterns on various chocolates, with varying shades of brown, white and other colors inhabiting the alcoves that housed the delightful sweets. Just looking at it was enough for them to salivate, with Rin picturing a rainbow made of chocolate, all the flavours of the world’s cocoa distilled into each piece of chocolate in the box. </p><p>“My parents insisted that I give my friends the best, so here.”</p><p>Unbeknownst to the three of them, her parents had done no such thing. Instead, she had gone overboard in her enthusiasm in making chocolate, and ended up making exactly none after becoming overzealous and shooting too high. The ingredients were all ruined, and in the end she simply snuck some of her handmade chocolate into the box, and prayed that they attributed the weird taste to the variety. </p><p>“Th-this is-this-Kane-chan!”</p><p>Kaede gaped at the box, oozing with luxury and elegance. </p><p>“Kane-chan, are you sure? It seems like a lot for us.”</p><p>Yukika’s worried face leaned next to Kaede’s shocked one as she stared down at the box in Kaede’s hands, wondering if it was alright to take such a precious, not to mention expensive, giri choco.</p><p>Only Rin was unruffled, gently prying the box from Kaede’s frozen fingers and inclining her head towards Kane.</p><p>“Thank you so much for this gift Kane-chan. We’ll savour every bite of this.”</p><p>Placing the box on her desk next to her lunchbox, she discreetly poked the two girls in the back.</p><p>“Ah, y-yeah, we’ll take good care of it!”</p><p>“We’ll clean it thoroughly!”</p><p>Faced with such an amazing gift after giving out their own humble ones, they couldn’t help but reel in shock, but Rin’s fingers at their backs managed to snap their minds back to the present, accepting the gift as Kane intended.</p><p>The four continued their usual banter, along with a session of sampling some of the chocolate as the lunchtime continued, the chatter of fellow students surrounding and enveloping them in these ordinary days.</p><p>In the students council room, Shirou and Issei stared at the pile of chocolate they had both received. Well, it was mostly Issei’s, with only a few girls giving gifts to Shirou, but it was still surprising that he had received that much.</p><p>“Are you going to eat all of that?”</p><p>Issei sighed.</p><p>“I made sure my lunch box had less today to accommodate for this, but I have to say I didn’t expect this amount.”</p><p>“You should be happy right? It means you’re more popular than you thought.”</p><p>Shirou attempted to console his friend in front of the small hill of sweets.</p><p>“Popularity is more trouble than it’s worth. I’d rather be respected than be popular.”</p><p>Is that so different?</p><p>Shirou wondered, but he decided to focus on the problem at hand.</p><p>“So what are you going to do about it?”</p><p>“Well, I suppose I’d have to find someone to help with it.”</p><p>Faced with such an amount, he admitted that he needed some assistance. And a plea for help was something an ally of justice couldn’t ignore.</p><p>“I guess there’s no helping it. Let’s dig in.”</p><p>The two of them sat down and started picking at the pile as they tried to make a dent in the hill of boxes and wrappers. </p><p>Some distance off, in a mapo tofu store located in the shopping district of Mount Miyama, a large man wearing a cassock loosened his collar as he forced steaming red liquid down his throat, steady helpings of tofu and minced meat following the spiced sauce. </p><p>“How amusing. Such a dish, made with little thought to balance, instead focusing one taste to the extreme. I suppose it’s a good fit for your taste, mongrel.”</p><p>Opposite him, a golden haired foreigner sat there, casually lounging in his seat as he flicked a piece of chocolate into his mouth.</p><p>Kirei paused in the middle of eating to reply. </p><p>“There is no other taste that makes me feel anything. I have nothing to compare the taste to, and so when comparing something with nothing, it would seem obvious to choose that which has something.”</p><p>Saying so, he downed another gulp of mapo tofu, his forehead already breaking out in sweat as he savoured the taste of the Chinese based delicacy. </p><p>“Not even the sweetest of chocolates will sway your heart. I suppose it’s useless to give any to you on this modern custom of ‘Valentine’s Day’. Yet rejoice, for this King has all the treasure of the world stored within his vaults, and there is nothing you desire that you cannot find within my hoard.”</p><p>Saying so, he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a shiny dark pack and chucked onto the table.</p><p>Out of curiosity, Kirei took it and looked at the big red letter in bold, with flames surrounding them.</p><p>“MAPO TOFU CHOCO!!! ONLY THE WORTHY MAY PARTAKE AND LIVE! PRANK YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH THIS!”</p><p>“Take it, for I am charitable today. For a man to receive nothing on this day is pitiable. I am the sole exception, for I have already received everything the world has to offer.”</p><p>Gilgamesh left with an insufferably arrogant smirk as he strode out of the restaurant, leaving Kirei behind with his mapo tofu and mapo tofu flavoured chocolate.</p><p>“Hm…”</p><p>He ripped open the pack with ease and placed a square of the chocolate into the mapo tofu, eating it together with the sauce.</p><p>As he thought, the spiciness was dulled, his senses no longer coming alive as when it was undiluted.</p><p>Somehow though, it was a familiar taste.</p><p>A woman wrapped in bandages appeared in the forefront of his mind, a weakened body that was always on the verge of perishing. </p><p>Then it was gone, and he went back to eating mapo tofu.</p><p>Far away, over the seas and through mountains, Caren smiled contentedly as she ate her roommates chocolates, savouring the rich texture with each bite as she devoured every single speck until there was nothing left. </p><p>As she thought, chocolate eaten in the pursuit of bringing misfortune and despair on others was the sweetest.</p>
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<a name="section0165"><h2>165. chapter 165</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 165</p><p>The old man stuck the broth ladle between Assassin and the couple in one swift movement. </p><p>“No fighting in here. Go outside first.”</p><p>Assassin stared at him for a moment, then relented, her hand dropping back down to her sides as it left the hilt of her sword. </p><p>Next to her, the couple stood up from their seats, laying their chopsticks on the bowls of half eaten ramen. They turned their eyes to their would-be challenger, the bounty hunter known across the galaxy as ‘Saber-killer’.</p><p>“Let’s take this outside.”</p><p>They had already noticed her presence earlier the moment she stepped foot on the steps leading downwards, but they had refrained from acting until she showed hostility towards them. Her reputation was widespread, and just the feel of her presence, which she didn’t attempt to hide, was enough to tell them that she was no ordinary person. When they laid eyes on her out of the corners of their eyes while feeding each other, they knew who she was at first sight.</p><p>Right now, without the sappy air surrounding them earlier when they had been feeding each other, they looked much more different to Gray. Originally, she’d had trouble connecting those grim faces on the poster to the lovey dovey acts the two were performing with glee as they acted like a pair of love-struck teenagers with each other. Once they stopped though, she could at least partially understand why the bounty was so high now.</p><p>They didn’t look like people who could be easily trifled with. Sigurd’s eyes shone with clarity, his glasses granting him an air of wisdom that when paired with his clean, crisp movements, spoke of a warrior of a caliber comparable to Assassin. His armor was currently unmanifested, but the sweater did little to hide his toned muscles and arms, his black trousers baggy to provide more ease of movement, but still tight enough that the contours of his legs could be traced from the lines outlining his pants. He was quite tall as well, his build closer to toned and lithe rather than muscular and large. </p><p>Besides him, his wife shone with ethereal beauty, her features unable to be ignored even under the dim light of the ramen bar. Emerald hair stretched all the ways to her knees, seemingly unwieldy and impractical, but it floated with a strange quality, like clouds of tightly bound thread that flowed with every movement she made, mesmerizing and hypnotic. Her unblemished body and shapely curves hid an immense amount of strength granted to all Valkyries, her weapon’s special ability especially proving how far her physical prowess reached.</p><p>Assassin nodded, walking ahead of them as they went up the stairs back to the scorching desert.</p><p>“Stay here Onui. Don’t ahead up no matter what.”</p><p>“But I wanna see!”</p><p>“No, stay here. There’s no telling what’ll happen between them.”</p><p>He might have the ability to protect himself and her as well, but it was better to not risk it. The red-haired youth with an old man’s mentality glared at her, until she was cowed enough to retreat back into the rooms behind the ramen bar. </p><p>“Ok...but don’t take too long with them please.”</p><p>With that, she went back into the room, shooing her little brother back with her as well.</p><p>With the kids taken care of, he went up as well, pausing at the foot of the stairs, then heading to the wall and pressing a button there. With a creaking sound, steel shutters lowered, sealing off the ramen bar, and then a force field sprang into existence in front of the shutter. </p><p>Should be enough.</p><p>With his backups in place in case anything got past him, he leapt up to the surface. </p><p>Outside the entrance, the three of them had already geared up, Gray watching as they took up positions some distance away from the entrance, mindful to not damage the structure or cause terrain destruction close to it. It was after all, a possible fight to death, and there was bound to be collateral damage to the environment. </p><p>Mythril gauntlets appeared on Brynhildr’s arms and legs, completely covering her arms from the tips of her fingers to her shoulders, with horn-like extensions jutting out from the back of her elbows and attached to her wrist. From her toes to mid-thigh, greaves and armor of the same material manifested, slender and light, with a hint of purple throughout the mythical metal. A corset-style waist armor encircled her torso, protecting against blows inflicted on the center of her body, obsidian mythril laid on black fabric. A disproportionately large shoulder plate of two pairs of wings stretching upwards and downwards was placed on her left shoulder, a symbol of her status as a Valkyrie, and one of the original ones, a daughter of Odin and a goddess of war. A delicate body that was no longer that of a Valkyrie, but instead of perfect mortality due to the curse, yet made her no less formidable.</p><p>Beside her, Sigurd stood in full armour, the suns gleaming down on his battle regalia. Instead of the light, almost airy nature of Brynhildr’s armour, his was robust and solid, the sheer weight of one arm bracer enough to make a human strain to lift it up. Blocky, angular strips served as the main motif for his armour pieces, like stone slabs fitted together. Yet the aesthetic was mystifyingly similar to Brynhildr’s own, though it differed so much in form. Large chakram-like discs with intimidating spikes wrapped around his shoulders, a unique form of shoulder armour that Gray had never seen the likes of before. His glasses had also changed shape, into what looked like a futuristic gas mask with round, glowing blue eyes, covering his entire face up to his forehead, hiding his ears and any recognizable facial features. </p><p>A giant spear with a head at least as long as her upper body hung loosely in Brynhildr’s right hand, the entire spearhead shaped like an elongated magenta heart, with sparkling, swirling colors across the material used as the head. </p><p>A massive blade as just slightly shorter than Brynhildr’s blade appeared in Sigurd’s hands as he held it out, the hilt connecting to two blade on each side like Berserker’s Necrocalibur’s saberstaff form, though with Sigurd’s one side was obviously longer than the other, and an overarching guard of the same material connecting the blades on one side of the hilt. The blade was a viridescent emerald crystal, with a more solid core running down the center. Several daggers of similar make hung on his waist, and he unhooked one and spun it for a few times like a revolver, before placing it back on his belt. </p><p>Assassin for her part, simply drew her sword from her back, still clad in her gym shirt and bloomers, a baseball cap penetrated by her ahoge protecting her head. </p><p>“You kids can start whenever you want!”</p><p>The man yelled from the entrance, his voice carrying over the undulating sands until it reached them. </p><p>Sigurd briefly turned his head to the man who had cooked their meals just now, giving him a curt nod for him and Brynhildr. Assassin for her part waved her hand at him, indicating her acknowledgement of his words. </p><p>Gray looked at them, separated by a mere fifty meters of hot air and sand. She gulped, remembering the scenes of her Servant fighting. What would happen here, when she was at full strength instead of being limited by a Class Container?</p>
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<a name="section0166"><h2>166. Chapter 166</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 166</p><p>That thing was too big to be called a spear. </p><p>Too big, too thick, too heavy, and too long, it was more like a large hunk of mythril. </p><p>Poised in Brynhildr’s hand, balanced precariously on a single palm like a single breeze could sway it out of her hand, the spear blotted out two of the three suns in the sky, it’s shadow stretching all the way to where Assassin stood. Gray’s jaw dropped at the awe-inspiring sight, the Valkyrie and the spear akin to a butterfly lifting a mountain.</p><p>There was no holding back. If anybody threatened to tear the two apart, they would respond with the fury of dragons. </p><p>“HA!”</p><p>Just like that, the spear left Brynhildr’s hands, and a mythril tower fell on Assassin. </p><p>Strength that scaled with her love, the spear’s size increasing the fiercer the flames of passion burned in her heart. With Sigurd by her side, she could freely manipulate this ability instead of having to rely on how much her opponent resembled her beloved, simply having him by her side enough to unleash the floodgates of love in her heart. All she had to do was be careful that she didn’t accidentally aim her attacks at him, as she had ‘accidentally’ done so in the past. If he didn’t have Battle Continuation and a prodigious will to live, he would have been long dead at her hands.</p><p>Against their enemies though, it was a sure-kill ability that would devastate the land and split the sea, capable of tearing down mountains and opening valleys in a plain with how much power Brynhildr could muster, her love for Sigurd transcending the mortal coil and the curse of the Great God Odin, persisting no matter what the universe threw at the couple. </p><p>Spreading out to tens of kilometers surrounding the impact point, a low rumbling sound like thunder echoed across the sands, stretching far and wide as the tip of the spear fell like a meteor on Assassin. Before the spear even touched the sandy ground, the sands were already shaking, grains of silicate flying in the air as a large whirlpool shaped depression appeared in the sand, marking the area where it would land before it reached Assassin. </p><p>“Damn, are they crazy?”</p><p>Leaning against the wall of his humble restaurant, he watched as the massive spear, far exceeding any weapon he had ever made in size, descended like the fist of god on the lone figure standing in the crater of sand blown out by it’s imminent arrival, unwavering even in the face of the crushing weight of the gigantic spear. Underneath the deep shadow that grew darker with each second as it closed the distance, her lips moved.</p><p>“Is that all you’ve got?”</p><p>A second gout of sand leapt up into the air beneath the spear as it descended onto the land, this stream far more concentrated and flying so high in the air that it passed the tip of the spear bearing down.</p><p>A moment later, the sonic boom hit Gray and the man’s ears. </p><p>“Wah!”</p><p>She took a step back in surprise at the sudden noise, then looked back at the spot where Assassin was supposed to be. There was nothing there any more, save for a crater of sand that was waiting for the spear to fill it up. </p><p>Sigurd narrowed his eyes, then shouted.</p><p>“Bryn, watch out!”</p><p>Sword out, a trail of sparks flew as she dragged it on the surface of the mammoth lance, her legs a blur as each step lightly tapped against the cool mythril surface, yet propelling her in explosive bursts that covered more than Usain Bolt could in ten seconds. A flash step that still adhered to physics, but just barely. Her path swirled around the cylinder of the long shaft until she reached the underside, hidden from Brynhildr’s sight as she leapt off the butt of the spear in one swift movement.</p><p>“...out!”</p><p>The cry reached her ears as her body instinctively protected itself, her arms coming up in a cross in front of her chest as runes formed in the air between her and the shining tip of the blade pointed straight at her spiritual core. </p><p>*FWOOM*</p><p>A brilliant shroud of pale flames sprung up between her and Assassin, the primeval runes of Norse calling forth the very same fire that had tormented her body. Carved into her mind, it was exceedingly easy to bring forth it’s strength for her own use. </p><p>The scorching blaze burned fiercely, rebuffing Assassin and her efforts to reach Brynhildr. More runes appeared in the air all around Brynhildr, lightning, ice, fire and more swirling forth as they prepared to rip through MHX’s body hanging in mid-air, her sword thrust in the middle of the flames as if they were solid. </p><p>A second later, all those runes turned to defense as hundreds of portals opened up all over in a sphere surrounding Brynhildr, except behind Assassin. A swirling globe of elements surrounded the Valkyrie, while the dull sheen of the Dun’s Stallion’s cannons glinted behind the portals </p><p>Then the portals disappeared, without firing off a single shot. Looking upwards, Sigurd also couldn’t spot either, her figure gone along with the portals after they hid her from sight. The swirling shield of elements generated by her runes disappeared, and Brynhildr stretched out her hand.</p><p>Like morning dew fading in the rays of sunlight, the monstrous spear faded away, having struck the ground while Assassin and Brynhildr fought. </p><p>Gray slowly floated down after being blown off her feet, unharmed by the shockwave that sent a shower of sand flying over an area the size of several football stadiums. Next to the entrance of the underground ramen shop, a sword crumbled to dust in the blacksmith’s hands, the structure untouched by the shockwave. </p><p>Sigurd stood in place, immovable even though he was standing so much closer to the epicenter of the impact, his eyes trained in the sky above him for Assassin’s presence. </p><p>Gray watched as her feet touched down on the ground, only for Sigurd to blast off from it like a rocket, an incredible force not dissimilar from Saber’s Mana Burst propulsing his body upwards to the sky, his dragon core blazing in his body as he flew. </p><p>In a practiced motion, his left hand unhooked one of the daggers from his belt, borrowing the momentum from his upward motion to add force to his fist as he punched the pommel of the dagger with the gap between his knuckles next to his ring finger, the ring on the pommel fitting snugly before he sent it flying forward like a missile. It flew straight towards Brynhildr, aimed at the space in front of her.</p><p>The dagger slammed into empty air, stopping dead in its tracks. Sparks flew, and then a human shaped space flickered. The sky warped and melted as the colors distorted like oil on water, then the stealth technology failed completely as a second dagger flew up and sheared past Assassin’s body. It didn’t seriously injure her, but it clipped the side of her side suit, tearing a shallow gash on her skin though she was fast enough to bend her waist sideways to avoid it.</p><p>Spinning to the right, she dodged the rest of the daggers as Sigurd’s fist delivered them to Assassin’s body with great force, the backblow of wind slicing her skin as they just barely missed, her clothes getting progressively torn up. </p><p>An upside down L and a rhombus seared onto the surface of the daggers once they missed her, the runes Laguz and Ingwaz of potential and the actualization of potential. A glow pulsed from the two letters, and the daggers stopped in place like a rock, remaining still in the air meters away from Assassin. </p><p>Every single dagger turned a complete 180 degrees, facing Assassin once more, and losing none of their previous speed, they went flying back towards her. A runic boomerang, made possible by Sigurd’s expertise in Norse runecraft instructed by his lover Brynhildr.</p><p>At the same time, the spear lashed out, a blow so near and so fast that the tip of the spear was already at Assassin’s belly before she had time to twist her neck to face Brynhildr. </p><p>A miniature portal leading to the Dun Stallion enveloped the now downsized spears tip, swallowing it up as she sacrificed a little more energy from her ship to buy time, solid platforms projected by her shoes allowing her space to deflect the daggers flying down on her. In a single fluid motion, all four daggers were repelled, the now glowing blue blade of Secret-calibur drawing a neon blue circle in the air above her.</p><p>This time, she put a but more force into her deflection, instead of allowing the daggers to glance off her blade and redirect their path, she actively hammered the sword onto the flat of the daggers and knocked them off course, batting them off hard so they couldn’t immediately change course and sending them further off than before. </p><p>A flashbang exploded between her and Brynhildr as she finished fending them off, which she had thrown right before the daggers had reversed direction, when Brynhildr was still lowering the shield of elements to strike her. Brynhildr’s rune’s were slowed as she was blasted with sound and light at close-range, her ability to concentrate hampered, though she was able to form her runes, albeit at a much slower rate. </p><p>By the time she was done, she opened her eyes to the blurry outline of a figure in black, locking blades with Assassin when she tried to attack after Brynhildr was stunned. </p><p>Sigurd wasn’t far behind his daggers when he punched them up, and Gram stood between Secret-calibur and Brynhildr, his feet treading air as Raidho runes all over his armor kept him aloft, an upward force fighting against the gravity that threatened to drag him down. </p><p>The neon blue blade grinded against the demonic greatsword, a gentle hum coming from the energy blade that the sword had morphed into. Emotionless eyes stared at Assassin from behind the mask, draconic strength pitted against the pinnacle of science, the clone made from masses of Artorian genes. Within his heart, he felt a familiar flare emotion. Though Assassin had no Phantasmal blood running through her veins, nor a dragon core to speak of, the Artorian genes that were ingrained within her body were tightly interlaced with the concept of dragon, a spiritual weight that couldn’t be easily destroyed. </p><p>Sigurd’s body responded accordingly. </p><p>“ORA!”</p><p>The muscle plates covering Sigurd’s arms shifted as the muscles on his arms bulged upwards, the monstrous strength within that deceptively thin frame brought to bear on Assassin and her sword. In an instant, it felt like the pressure against her had increased threefold, the surface of her energy sword rippling from the force Gram was exerting on it. The blue circles of the mask glowed brighter until they became closer to white than blue, and his stiff hair shook with the effort his body was experiencing. </p><p>At the same time, Assassin recognized one fact.</p><p>He was without doubt, a Saber. </p><p>This strength, this power that welled up from the depths of his body, was definitely that of the most powerful of classes, one that reigned at the top of the seven in terms of pure combat ability and strength. As long as they were strong, they had to be a Saber class, which was the logic the universe she lived in ran on. And if they were a Saber class, they had something in common with Artoria. That meant that he too, was part of the Artorian cancer that plagued the entire galaxy. A tumor meant to be excised in the name of the safety of the galaxy. </p><p>The train of thought was faulty, the metaphorical thought train cars all separated by miles of rail to any observer possessing even the slightest bit of common sense, but it was Assassin. She wouldn’t let little things like logic and common sense get in the way of her mission to exterminate all Artorias, her purpose in life spawning a paradox in the form of MHZ. It could be said that her very existence was a rebellion against common sense, something that made fun of absolute existences. St*r W*rs, for example. </p><p>It felt like he was overpowering her for a brief moment, then she disappeared in a cloud of smoke that was released by her suit. A choking black smog, as poisonous as it was thick, covered the Assassin’s form in front of his very eyes. Yet his strength didn’t waver in the slightest, his sword pressing down hard on Assassin. As long as his sword was going to cut her with the slightest give in her guard, she couldn’t run anywhere. </p><p>That was, until she cut out the force fields allowing her to stand in the air. </p><p>Like a lightning bolt, she struck the ground at terrific speeds, Gram sending her down once she lost her footing with tremendous weight, Sigurd’s might that slew the evil dragon more than enough to send her teenage body slamming into the ground with prejudice. It was enough however, to break free from the deadlock with Sigurd. </p><p>Taking no chance, Sigurd shot downwards, tucking his entire body into a spear with Gram’s point as the tip, reducing drag and making him a smaller target as well as he descended on where Assassin fell, getting on top of her location in a matter of heartbeats. While it was far from the level of Brynhildr’s first strike, it was surely enough to obliterate Assassin’s body as well as anything in a twenty meter radius around her should she fail to block or dodge it. </p><p>Then the directional mine Assassin had prepared blew up in his face.</p><p>In the distance, Gray and the ramen shop owner saw a geyser of sand go up into the sky.</p><p>When the sand fell back to the ground, the crystalline emerald point of Gram was through Assassin’s chest, her body impaled against the sands as she stared disbelievingly at the blood spreading across her metallic suit, the azure strips obscured by crimson.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0167"><h2>167. Chapter 167</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 167</p><p>A blue streak shot through the body and wrapped itself around Sigurd’s sword arm. With a quick tug, he went flying through the air, unable to brace himself in time after the lack of sensation he felt when his sword ran through the Assassin, with no resistance at all as if piercing air. </p><p>Twisting his body mid-throw, he landed on his feet heavily as the sand scattered on impact, his sword thrust into the ground to help kill the momentum. In an instant, he grabbed the whip binding his arm and tugged, fully intent on dragging the attacker out. </p><p>The hologram he had stabbed flickered once, then disappeared, revealing Assassin below it who had twisted her body sideways to avoid the crushing blow as Gram ripped past her spine and into her jacket, slicing the threads apart and sinking into the sand below her. </p><p>Before Gram had even finished pushing all the way through, her scarf was already in her left hand, lashing out like a whip in the out of the hole she had crashed into and wrapping around Sigurd’s right arm all the way up to his shoulder. Taking advantage of the brief gap generated by her hologram shroud on top of her, she threw him hard. </p><p>He managed to recover almost instantaneously, and pulled hard. </p><p>There was no contest in their strength. While she was strong, it was nowhere enough to match one of the premier Sabers in the galaxy, the legend that had crushed the Cartel Dragon of Corellus, an organization said to rival the Intergalactic Banking Clan, also known as F.A.F.N.I.R., and the brothers that spearheaded the criminal society, Nibelung and Schilbung. His fame was on a similar degree to Siegfried, who had dealt with the organizations strongest asset, the planet destroyer cyborg dragon that the organization was named after, and the pillar of their rise to infamy.</p><p>Like reeling in a particularly stubborn fish, he felt some resistance, and then his opponent popped out of the hole she had created when falling down, a shower of sand shooting out with her as it fell off her clothes and suit. </p><p>She was no longer clad in the school clothes that Gray frequently saw her wear as casual clothes whenever they went out. Gone was the form fitting bloomers and gym shirt with her name across ‘Excalibur’ written in Japanese across her chest. Instead, she was now sporting an entirely different look, one that was more appropriate to the technology level of her galaxy. </p><p>A latex-like material stretched across her chest and back as a skin tight undersuit, her entire stomach exposed, with her legs covered by tights of similar material. Metal clasps went around hips and propping below her budding chest, electrical blue lines running across them, with other neonlines tracing her body’s curves across her outfit, the very picture of a sci fi skinsuit, with high rates of skin exposure. On her neck, a collar led to large ‘X’ at the base of her neck, humming and emitting a faint light as three circles positioned at the left, right and bottom of the X seemed to circulate with blue liquid, a circuit of energy serving as a crucial part of the system that made up her combat suit.</p><p>Her slender arms were covered by lavender and royal blue with long neon blue lines running down them, and her shoes were made of an unknown metal, a far cry from the sneakers Gray saw her wearing before. An X just like the one below her neck was marked out on her foot wear, and even her cap had changed from gold to cobalt, glowing like the rest of her outfit. </p><p>Looking into her eyes, Sigurd could see the energy running through them, turning their color into cerulean, blue lightning flashing in circles around the irises. </p><p>Borrowing Sigurd’s strength, she flew towards him at great speeds, her right arm poised to strike the moment she entered his range. The sword in her hand glimmered as it shifted into maximum output, the blade matching her outfits color as more patterns appeared on its surface, the guard segmenting to reveal a blue underlying base all the way up to the pommel. </p><p>Raising his Gram one-handedly, he met Assassin head on. </p><p>The world around turned into a flurry of sparks, fierce howling and blue streaks from the swords flashing against each other. The scent of melted stone drifted in the air, sand being kicked up by the swings instantly vaporized by Secret-calibur as the plasma blade turned the silicate into slag, Gram pulverizing the sand and melting it through pure friction as it travelled in the air.</p><p>Countless arcs of cerulean clashed against light emerald as their blades strived against each other, a heavy greatsword pitted against a plasma blade. In the span of a few seconds, MHX had made dozens of strikes, Gram fending them off and then executing a vicious counter attack that forced MHX to bend acrobatically midair, her suit aiding her as she stretched and contracted her muscles just enough to rotate around the scarf still entwined around Sigurd’s arm. </p><p>Once she dodged, Sigurd pulled on the scarf again, pulling her back into range of his blow that was now on the verge of cutting her in half. Without missing a beat, MHX pulled harder, dragging herself so close that she was practically in Sigurd’s embrace, the edge of Gram completely missing her as his arm completed the swing to wrap her in a pseudo hug. </p><p>Slithering across his body with practiced ease, she deftly avoided the spikes and vaulted over his shoulder on the side that was wrapped with the scarf, twisting her arm and wrapping the length of scarf between his arm and hers around his neck in one go. Far above them, in the sky above their head, daggers floating in the air hurtled down as the wind whipped past them, mystic missiles of demonic metal screaming towards Assassin, a single dagger packing enough kinetic energy to tear her arm clear off, combat suit or no.</p><p>Metal creaked as Assassin bent, pulling backwards while her legs were braced on the back of his knees, the scarf digging deeply into his metal choker that wrapped around his neck, preventing the flesh from being squeezed. Currently, he was in no danger of being choked to death, but if both he and Assassin pulled, either the scarf would snap, the collar would break and crush his neck or it would shatter and the splinters pierced his neck. Considering the scarf had survived the contest of strength between the two of them, it was more likely the latter two would occur. </p><p>With his face towards the sky for his body to act as a meat shield, his entire body turned into an L-shape, his knees bent at a 90 degree angle while his body hung over Assassin. </p><p>That brought his arms closer to the ground though, and immediately twisted his body, bringing his free arm onto the ground and allowing him space to leverage as he flipped his body to the left, bringing MHX clinging onto his back with him as he barrel rolled in the air just as his daggers rained down on the spot where they had been, throwing up several small spouts of sand upwards. Successfully dodging his own daggers, he moved on to dealing with MHX while deactivating the runes on his dagger. </p><p>For MHX herself, she was ready to run through Sigurd the moment he started moving, but his barrel roll threw her off. Keeping a tight grip on her sword, she wrapped her legs tightly around Sigurd’s torso to keep from being thrown off, her left arm entangling deeper into the scarf as she clung on to him. The world spun in front of her eyes as they dodged, vertigo setting in deep within the pit of her stomach, and then they were gliding across the sand as Sigurd shed momentum. </p><p>Drawing back her sword, she held it as far away from Sigurd’s body as possible, the blade parallel to the ground. The problem though, was that her blade was too long to be suited for close range combat. A dagger could be thrust with minimum distance to penetrate flesh, but a sword had to have enough space to be swung, otherwise she would be just pressing the blade against Sigurd’s flesh and trying to push it through. </p><p>Of course, Secret-calibur being an energy blade helped to alleviate that problem, but Sigurd’s flesh was exceptionally tough, the skin resistant to laser bolts and energy swords. To pierce through, she couldn’t do it with a half-hearted attack, forcing her into a large windup motion for the slash. </p><p>Giving Sigurd just enough time to trace his runes and cast them. </p><p>His finger swiped twice in the air, drawing the figure of an X that manifested physically, the same color as his eyes. It momentarily brightened, then he swiftly traced two more runes, his finger moving down vertically several times, muttering the names under his breath. </p><p>“Hagalaz-Isa”</p><p>Runes were fast and easy to cast, as long as one had the sufficient mental concentration and proper training to wield them properly. For Sigurd, this was all done as easily as breathing, in the mere blink of an eye.</p><p>MHX raised her sword to block the sudden hail of icy spears, each a jagged icicle ready to impale her as they swooped down on her from above, each icicle lance as thick as her thighs, and twice as long as her arm. Of course, Sigurd himself was also at danger from his own spell, but Gram was more than sufficient for him to ward off any projectiles coming at his head, the large blading doubling as protection from the few weak strikes Assassin threw at him while warding off his ice spears. </p><p>Keeping Gram in her face to both defend and block her vision, his free hand shot up, grabbed an icicle, and then with one smooth motion stabbed the point behind him where Assassin was clinging on and fighting off the onslaught of ice. </p><p>The hail of ice ended just as abruptly as it began, the chill of the ice disappearing as the suns melted them into water, the puddles sinking into the sand and quickly evaporating into the dry air. However, Assassins still felt the cold penetrate her body from the side. </p><p>Blood dripped down from her left hip, just below the metal band that wrapped from the back to her belly along the upper contours of her hip. Piercing through her flesh, was the transparent body of an icicle, already melting from the sun and her body heat, but the damage was already done. The tip was only stopped from penetrating to the bone because it was slightly off in aim, scraping against the metal bands before it slid past it and entered her body, helping to disperse some of the momentum and chipping off the tip of the icicle as well. </p><p>Nevertheless, MHX reacted instantly in spite of the pain. She immediately brought her whole body up while dropping her left hand down, still wrapped in the scarf bound around Sigurd’s neck, the icicle meeting her fist travelling downwards and snapping it in two. While it did tear the wound a little wider, she had at least broken it from the control of Sigurd’s hand, who was unable to stab her unless he reached further backwards with his hand with the stub of the icicle left, which would barely inflict any damage. </p><p>Yanking backwards, she tugged once more on the scarf, shifting it upwards and pulling his jaw up as he tried to suplex her into the sandy ground. His neck craned backwards painfully as his neck resisted her arm, keeping his other arm loose as he held it close to his head to avoid adding his own strength into the bind and killing himself. </p><p>While he was distracted, she twirled her sword and held it up to the wound at her side with the bit of icicle still stabbed in. With a sharp hiss, the ice melted under the presence of the energy blade, and then pressing it even closer, she released a sharp hiss out of her clenched teeth as Secret-calibur cauterized the wounds with its extreme heat. The suit had no built in healing functions, so she had to rely on extreme measures in the heat of battle. </p><p>The moment she sensed Sigurd start to move, she moved the sword away from her wound to avoid accidentally cutting herself as he realized what she was trying to do and jerked as hard as he could without making the grip of the scarf around his metal collar, and now under his jaw, any tighter. Feeling her slide on his back, he traced the next few runes, then set to work untangling the scarf from his right arm, which had been ingeniously looped through the hilt of Gram as well to lock it in place and make moving it difficult. </p><p>MHX had taken many bounty targets over her years of travel, and had picked up many techniques, methods and strategies to use against different enemies. The ‘Saber-killer’ that self-proclaimed to be a ‘knight’, but would perform fair and square surprise attacks under the cover of darkness, sometimes when her targets were taking shower, sleeping or otherwise engaged. Her fearsome reputation was built upon all these successful feats, and her class as an Assassin in the holy Grail War was well-deserved. </p><p>A sideways S, a K without the vertical line and another S but this time with three lines and a shortened top and bottom appeared, each multiplying around his body until there were at least one floating near each individual limb, as well as on the front and back of his torso. </p><p>The runes of the sun, fire and endurance. </p><p>Assassin let out a muffled scream as she felt her bare flesh sear against the scorching hot skin of Sigurd, the acrid smell of melting skin reaching her nose as she leapt off his back and tried to distance herself as much as she could while not letting go of the scarf entwined around his neck. Even with how much she had wrapped around his arm and neck, there was still enough length for her to back off while keeping it securely tied around her left hand. </p><p>For Sigurd though, his endurable body, further fortified by Eolh, was able to withstand the immense heat that focused the sun’s rays already beating down on them and amplifying the phantom heat that surrounded him, calling forth a semblance of the flames that licked at Brynhildr’s body as she slept in that silent hall as part of her punishment. While there was no visual indicator besides the air suddenly turning hazy, the temperature around him had skyrocketed to immense degrees. If it wasn’t for his body, armor and experience in the forge with the heat while making Gram, he would have succumbed to it as well. </p><p>His hand grabbed the loose end that was just under his shoulder, tugging it and passing it through the rings it had looped through. He had pulled it out and was just about to rip it free of the vambrace it had gotten snagged on when he felt a rising pressure around his neck. Without looking back, he could tell that MHX was pulling on the scarf without all her might, trying to crush his throat before he could break free of the bindings around his arm and neck. </p><p>Gritting his teeth, tugged the scarf down to his choker as much as he could, though he could feel his face tilting more and more towards the sky as the fabric slipped upwards and arrive at the tip of his neck where the jaw started, snugly fitting there and bypassing the choker. His face tilted up towards the sky, leaving him unable to see the scarf tied around his arm, but with the memory of what he had seen he moved his left hand back to his right arm and undid the snagged parts even while he felt the pressure on his neck increase. </p><p>The moment he did so, he instantly felt the pressure loosen marginally, but then it tightened back again, his head snapping back upwards as Assassin pulled from behind when he tried to lift the scarf from his neck. He could feel his legs shifting against the sand as he was pulled bodily into her direction, the grains under his feet turning to glass from the heat. </p><p>Changing tactics, he turned around to face her, the scarf twisting as his neck rubbed against it, then he was charging towards MHX.</p><p>Faced by the unexpected charge, she slackened her grip on the scarf, but Sigurd already had a starting boost from her efforts a second ago. Pivoting on one foot, the other kicked out against the sand and shot him forward into a dash that melted sand and sent glass beads flying into the air, heat radiating off him like an open furnace. He couldn’t maintain the heat for much longer, lest his stamina run out while being sapped by the heat, but for now it served as a strong deterrent against MHX.</p><p>Backpedaling, she jumped back as far as the scarf would allow and lifted her sword to cross it against Gram, keeping it from cutting her scarf apart. The flat of her energy blade came close to the scarf, pressing down it lightly, but she managed to stop Gram in place. Both her arms trembled as she kept a two-handed grip on the Secret-calibur, her seared hands wracked in pain after she had touched his back when the temperature shot up. </p><p>The blade of Gram slid around Secret-calibur as Sigurd when low, ducking far below the two blades and slipping close to MHX. Before she could react, his torso was already twisting, his right leg lifting off the ground as he rotated his entire body, the scarf connecting them throwing MHX off balance as his strength suddenly increased, though at the cost of great discomfort around his neck as it tightened. </p><p>*BOOM*</p><p>An arc of sand floated in the air, little specks of glass glittering in the air, as Sigurd’s burning greaves slammed into MHX’s left thigh, the edges of her black shorts fraying from the heat as the skin instantly blackened, intense pain flashing up to her brain. At the same time, his twist around made Gram spin around Secret-calibur, diverting the strength she used to block it towards the same direction the scarf and kick sent her, throwing her entire body off to the side. </p><p>Tumbling head over heels in the sand, her left arm snapped her body to a halt as the scarf stretched to its full length, her ahoge knocked askew as her jacket fell off her shoulders and lay on the sand. Without thinking, her body reacted automatically, her hands reaching into the miniature portals that her suit could create, similar to the portals that provided supporting fire from the cannons mounted on the Dun Stallion. Withdrawing a flashbang from the storage, was already rolling to the side to avoid the strike she anticipated from Sigurd as she pulled the pin and chucked it into the air above.</p><p>A brilliant flash occurred, with even Gray wincing though she was watching at a distance. The old man though, didn’t so much as blink, keeping his eyes trained on the two as they fought the whole time. </p><p>“Not half-bad, he knows how to use it too. That girl though…”</p><p>He muttered to himself as he spectated, stroking his chin in a way that heavily contrasted with his youthful appearance. </p><p>Sigurd wasn’t as near as MHX believed him to be though. Instead of rushing up to her and slashing at her directly with Gram, he had instead thrown one of his daggers at her and then set to work getting the scarf off him, his hands unhooking the strip of fabric across his armor. While it was true he could use it to his advantage, MHX could too, and it impaired his movements as well, restraining his hand and neck, as well as making it difficult to fight when MHX utilized it to dodge, throwing himself off and letting her move acrobatically as well. </p><p>Within his mask, he could feel his breath growing rougher and harsher as the heat sapped his strength and stamina, the combo of his own runes and the suns beating down on his body backfiring as his body grew more and more tired, much faster than usual. While his body was mostly impervious, it didn’t mean he was completely unaffected. Wilfully ignoring the deadly temperature, he ducked as his instincts flared, something thrown over his head landing on the sand behind him. </p><p>A moment later, the sand exploded, a wave of kinetic force slamming into his back and sending a ripple omnidirectionally in the sand, his body lurching forward like a drunkard as he felt something like a truck crashing into him from behind. </p><p>The mask protected from most of the effect, but he was disoriented for a moment, almost falling face first into the sand in front of him. Seizing the opportunity her concussion grenade had created, Assassin ran forward and swung her sword in a powerful downward stroke, the sword a blue streak as it went from above her head towards her feet. </p><p>Even so, Sigurd was able to raise his sword in time to parry, his right hand still bound with MHX through the scarf blurring into a wide sweep that aimed at pulling her completely off-balance and opening her up for a counter-attack. </p><p>To his surprise, he felt his entire right arm dislocated with a clean ‘pop’ while his body spun clockwise. </p><p>One second, MHX was in front of him, and then the next she was behind his left shoulder, his right arm pulled out it’s socket. </p><p>Going along with the momentum of his rightward sweep when he tried to imbalance her, she had instead borrowed his strength and sprinted alongside his swinging arm, using him as a pivot point to pull his right arm and dislocate it, if not outright tearing it off his body. </p><p>“Khr!”</p><p>He took his first injury of the duel as MHX stabbed her sword towards his heart, the blade slitting his flesh as she put in all her strength, along with the residual momentum from her large swing aided by Sigurd with the scarf. It was just enough to pierce his skin, but she soon found her sword stopping place. When she tried to pull it out, it refused to budge, completely stuck in place. </p><p>Shifting to the side, Sigurd allowed the sword to pierce him while missing his vitals, instead shearing the flesh just next to his lungs and heart, where his armpit was. Without a second of hesitation, he clamped down on the energy blade, his forearm pinning against his body as he endured the pain from the active energy blade. </p><p>At the same time, the daggers broke free from the sand and went flying towards MHX, forcing her to release her grip on the hilt of her sword and dodge, opting to jump up instead of getting closer to Sigurd. Hanging in mid-air, she flipped forward while tucking her legs into her chest, reducing her profile as the daggers zoomed past her body. Sigurd dropped the Secret-calibur to the ground, stabbing Gram upright as well.</p><p>In the next instant, Sigurd grabbed his right arm and pulled it hard. The joints slid back into place, the pain over in an instant. Grabbing the upright Gram with his right hand, he drove the point of his sword into the fabric of the scarf, carefully aiming it so he didn’t cut himself. The emerald blade sank into the scarf and into the sand, his strength driving it deep like a hammer striking a nail into wood. </p><p>The scarf split in the middle, the woven threads parting under the savage thrust of the greatsword. Yet even Gram was unable to completely sever it in half even with the strength of Sigurd’s arms, the depleted Artorium strands used to create the scarf holding strong in the face of brute strength and a sword that slew dragons. A gap was created in the middle, but not enough to break it yet. </p><p>Raising his sword, he lifted over his shoulder to swing one more time, intent on finishing the job this time. Just behind him, the daggers occupied MHX as she twirled and danced in the air, acrobatically dodging them as they came at her, not all at once, but staggered, forcing her to constantly move as they flitted through the air like swallows, now much more agile and animate than before. Much like their owner, he had created them to adapt to any many, the runes on them now flaring in different forms than they had previously, the knowledge imparted to them from the main sword Gram. By crossing swords with his opponent, he gained more and more knowledge about their style, their habits, their strengths and weaknesses, all that and more, the crystallization of wisdom analyzing every move they made. </p><p>It was a simple matter to convert that information into tactics and moves that were capable of taking down his opponents. </p><p>In the midst of twirling and spinning in the air, she saw him raise the sword once more to strike her scarf. Then she was blinded by a burst of light, brilliant radiance stabbing into her eyes even as she frantically closed her eyelids, her retinas seared by the sudden burst of illumination that came completely unexpected. </p><p>Having deactivated the one of the runes that had sustained the heat around him earlier, he had instead chosen to continue sustaining the other rune that had been fueling the heat, converting it on the fly during combat to serve another purpose, namely to function like one of the very flashbangs MHX had used against him. It worked like a charm, with MHX never suspecting  he’d use such a thing, her attention and eyes drawn to him when he left the blade. </p><p>*SCHING*</p><p>Blood splattered on the sand as her body was slashed by the flying daggers, each one splitting her skin and shedding blood. Her blade only served to defend against one as the rest struck true, sending her tumbling to the ground with her solid state force fields beneath her feet deactivating with her injuries severing the suit that she wore, interrupting the systems running through it. </p><p>With a solid ‘thump’, she came to a rest on the stained sand, crimson lifeblood spilling from her wounds all over her body as she laid there facedown on the sand, her ahoge wavering weakly with the slight wind that blew. Secret-calibur lay loosely in her hand, the fingers no longer tightly curled around the handle, instead relaxed in their natural state. </p><p>Calmly, Sigurd tore off the rest of the scarf from his arm and neck, unravelling it and then casting aside as he finally regained bodily freedom, able to exercise his full range of movement without restraint. The scarf fell onto the sand, a large gash in the middle, with one end still wrapped around MHX’s palm. </p><p>His steps were imprinted on the sand as he trudged towards MHX, only a few meters away. Then he paused. </p><p>An armored palm raised in the air, then he brought it down towards her prone figure. The daggers shot forward on command, hovering into the air, then bearing down her, azure streaks let in their wake as they glided effortlessly towards her. </p><p>Before they reached her, the scarf flew up like a snake, writhing as it entangled all of the daggers and circled each of the them, brushing across their smooth surfaces as they slipped past the fabric with sheer power, but not before they were knocked slightly off course by the whip-like article of clothing. It was just enough for MHX to contort her body on the sand to further increase the margin of error and dodge the short blades by a hair. Before they could resume their onslaught, she was already scrabbling to stand up, her sword once more firmly in her grasp as she turned to face Sigurd. </p><p>Seeing through her ploy to play dead and launch a surprise attack against him, he was ready to strike when his daggers were foiled, this time punching his sword instead, aiming at where MHX’s body would be when she stood up. </p><p>A chill ran up her spine as her body left the sandy ground, her spine straightening when she realized the left side of her face as she turned around to face Sigurd, was lit up with an emerald glow. </p><p>The bolt of light that was Gram slammed into her, producing a sound not unlike that of a lightning bolt, the force carving a path on the sand behind her that stretched for some distance before the energy dispersed. A small explosion occurred on impact, hiding MHX as her figure was swallowed by the corona of light. </p><p>Just like the daggers, the sword was capable of moving on it’s own, and it traced out a thread of light that zig-zagged and turned sharply in the air until it returned to its Master, manifesting whole on his back. </p><p>His eyes narrowed when he saw the result of his attack, his hand reaching for the hilt of Gram again. </p><p>MHX glared at him, her body leaning slightly to the right as she favoured her right leg, the various injuries from before accumulating to a point that she was unable to ignore them. The hole where the icicle had pierced into her body was cauterized, but after her frenetic activity while dodging, the skin had split open again, a trickle of blood flowing down her thigh. It stopped at the spot where Sigurd’s burning kick had touched her, the skin in the middle sporting a dark rectangular patch, with the edges of the wound pink and glistening. Her body was starting to feel the effects of battle, the adrenaline wearing off as pain started beating in her limbs, the slashing cuts from the daggers weakening her as blood rained from the wounds.</p><p>Yet her eyes remained sharp, her body tense and ready for a fight. It wasn’t like she had never fought injured before, in her long years as a bounty hunter. She would manage. Though at this point, she couldn’t afford to hold back any more.</p><p>Resting in her left hand, it’s surface devouring the rays of sunlight that were gradually weakening as the suns descended past the horizon one by one, bright white turning into a murky orange, was another sword just like Secret-calibur, save for one thing. The color. </p><p>It was a complete palette swap of the other sword, with red and black being the dominant color, a sinister design that completely contrasted with the radiance of Secret-calibur. But when paired together, they formed a harmonious set of darkness and light, a sense of completeness descending on everyone who gazed upon the two swords together. </p><p>Gray stood in silence, her face still showing traces of her awe, but even from far away she could see the two lines outlined against the sand dunes, a brilliant blue bordering on white, and a pure darkness that gradually blended in as the sun set in the distant west horizon, with only the red lines serving to differentiate it from the surroundings. In her heart, she felt an indescribable sense of calm at the sight of the swords together. </p><p>The ramen chef, who had started sitting down cross-legged a long time, leaned his cheek on his fist as his elbow propped up against his thigh. His disinterested face finally showed a trace of emotion when she brought out the other sword.</p><p>“Bout time she finally used it.”</p><p>During his first inspection, he could tell that there was something missing. While one glance was enough to tell him that Secret-calibur was polished enough as a weapon to be used as a single complete product, his instincts nagged at him, telling him something was off, and when it came to swords, his instincts never erred.</p><p>Sigurd too, felt the change in her demeanour, and he was perhaps the one who felt it most keenly. Standing opposite her, he could hear her laboured breathing that steadily evened and tapered out until it was barely audible. Her posture changed, conforming to the two weapons that she held with both hands. He could almost see her fighting spirit sharpening, focusing into one point, her resolve settling in her stomach. </p><p>He glanced at the sword, a new quantity in the battle. If it was enough to block Gram punched with a fair portion of his strength, it was surely strong. It looked like he would have to adjust for this added factor. </p><p>“Sorry, but you’ll have to throw aside everything you learned about me to have a chance at winning.”</p><p>Her sudden words gave him a pause. What did she mean?</p><p>Then he had no time to ponder as he was beset by her twin swords, battling for his life as the planet’s day cycle progressed into night. </p><p>Far above the two, Brynhildr ascended further and further, her body rising through the skies in preparation for the ultimate strike.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0168"><h2>168. Chapter 168</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 168</p><p>Before, her style of fighting was best described as erratic, with little in the way of direct confrontation. From flashbangs, to directional mines, to her scarf used as a whip, most of what she had done was very far from what a Saber would do in a fight, making it very evident why she was placed in the Assassin class. However, that was not all she was capable of. In fact, it was barely scratching the surface of her abilities.</p><p>On paper, her ranking in the six parameters were above average, but not to the point of being absolutely overpowered. Her main parameter of agility was A+, which was to be expected of the Assassin class, and her strength was high for an Assassin as well, though it was a cut below Sigurd’s. Endurance and luck was C and D for her respectively, which while quite low, wasn’t as bad as Lancer class rank E luck which seemed to actively cause misfortune for people qualifying in said class. The Cosmo Reactor serving as the basis of her suit and powering her actions boosted her mana to B, equivalent to a first-class magus, though not yet to the level of a proper Caster. </p><p>In this moment though, what Sigurd was facing was far beyond those statistics and rankings. </p><p>Everytime he blocked her with Gram, he could feel his entire body shift backwards as his feet slid on the sand, his arms that had weathered her blows so easily earlier now trembling with effort when she caught his sword in a deadlock. The sand flew into frequently with each step he took, shaken from both his heavy steps and her rapid blows that were followed by a swift tailwind, the sound of air parting before her blade audible above the hum of her blade and the rhythmic clashing of their weapons. </p><p>There were no tricks, no distractions, no bluffs. She was simply fighting with two swords in her hands, relying on pure skill and strength. </p><p>With every step she took, Sigurd went a step back. Far off, Gray could only see the halos of her sword as she slashed and stabbed with frightening speed, the swords whirling around her until all Gray could see was black and white, a cyclone of light spinning around MHX. \</p><p>Gritting his teeth, Sigurd realized what she meant earlier that he had to cast aside his preconceptions regarding her. It was almost like he was fighting an entirely different person from before, the tactics and strategies he had planned to use now entirely useless with how she had changed. Still, he wasn’t someone that would just go down like that, even if his opponent had gotten a little stronger.</p><p>Sand slid off his daggers as they rejoined the action, all of them attacking MHX while he fought her at the same time. </p><p>Almost casually, she shrugged off their attacks, her swords moving to accommodate their added presence in addition to his attacks with Gram. Spinning like a top, her swords moved to each of the daggers path of attack as she angled the blades to catch them and drive them off course, the daggers shooting into the ground. There was no opening to strike as well, with Gram getting rebuffed by as she swiveled around to strike against his sword, both blue and black edges combined to stand against his greatsword. The momentum she gained from her spin added to the strength of the blow, and while it was true that one-handed swordsmanship was weaker than two hands, when both swords were placed against the same point, it was no weaker. </p><p>Turning, she drove her feet deeper into the sand, her hips and legs twisting as well to add even more force against Sigurd’s immovable strength. Beneath her feet, the force fields activated to give her more solid footing, allowing her to suddenly completely switch into the opposite direction with little warning. Secret-caliber and it’s counterpart gave way beneath Sigurd’s Gram, pushing her away as she leaped backwards while riding the momentum. The force fields activated once more as she was about to touch the ground, her legs bunching up for another leap backwards or even more distance. In the blink of an eye, she was already a fair distance away from Sigurd, his eyes trained on her swords in front of him. </p><p>Then she was behind him.</p><p>A tall wall of sand shot into the air with a second’s delay after her rush, clearly visible even at the distance Gray and the old man was at, under the light of the stars and the moons. </p><p>Sigurd’s eyes could barely follow when in the time it took to twitch his eyes in her direction, she was already only a step away from him. It was only because his body had begun moving before he’d even seen her, his hands operating independently of his brain, that he was able to just deflect the slash that was aimed at his throat. As it was, Secret-calibur skated past the surface of Gram, cleaving the air next to his head as he felt a shallow cut drawn from his cheek to his jawline from the very tip of her sword.</p><p>He didn’t have time to think as she launched into another full speed sprint from his back, interposing Gram between his spine and her sword since he wasn’t able to turn around in time. The result was that he was blown forward, his body going chest first as he was flung into the air clean off the sand. </p><p>His eyes darted left and right as he shifted his sword, using both hands to grip the blade to brace himself. His palm throbbed slightly from the vibrations her blow had created, his back feeling the force of her sword that if not blocked, would have cut him in half easily even with his skin.</p><p>Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blue streak that was barely visible under the moonlight.</p><p>LEFT!</p><p>She came at him like a battering ram, his body shooting to the right this time as he lost his footing, his cheek pressing against the cool surface of Gram when it was pushed by MHX. </p><p>This time, it glided in the air even longer, taking a full three seconds to touch the sand again. In the meantime, MHX dashed into place, starting her charge from further away to gather more momentum. </p><p>His eyes flicked to the right, seeing another blur of blue.</p><p>FRONT!</p><p>Bending his knees, he was barely able to receive her attack, but then he felt a sense of vertigo, and a moment later he realized the ground was receding.</p><p>Stopping on a dime, and then placing both swords beneath Gram to launch him upwards with one massive jump, lifting him easily despite his weight. Sand flew in a circle from her shockwave, a shallow crater created in an instant.</p><p>A sense of weightlessness seized Sigurd as he floated in the air, reaching the apex of his ascent soon after his abrupt departure from the ground. </p><p>Under the light of the moon, his eyes narrowed as multiple figures appeared in the air all around him, encircling him in the middle of a sphere. They were holograms, but he couldn’t disregard the fact that she could use them as a bluff, camouflaging her true route of attack. </p><p>Before he could react, all the holograms converged on him. </p><p>*ZUKYUN*</p><p>The hum of her sword filled his ears, countless shadows obscuring his sight, yet his body felt nothing as the multitude of illusions charged at him. </p><p>A heartbeat later, he moved.</p><p>His body started descending, gravity once again acting on his body and dragging him back to the ground. There was still no sign of MHX even as the holograms bombarded him, the projection technology she used giving no hint as to her current location. He waved his sword once or twice, but it did little to affect the holograms. In any case, there was little he could do except-</p><p>He heard it before he felt it coming, the high-pitched shriek that was akin to a jet as it screamed through the air. </p><p>Half a second later, the edges of a glowing blue projectile pierced through the cloak of holograms surrounding him, barely a foot away, and then he pulled his feet up as he folded his body until his head was facing the ground, feet in the air and head pointed straight down in a divers pose. </p><p>Raising Gram above his head, he felt the impact of the mysterious projectile explode against his sword, it’s size and his gauntlets protecting him from most of the damage, but it managed to halt his progress and send him further into the air. </p><p>He burst out of the cloud of holograms, rising even higher than before. </p><p>Far away from where Gray was standing, she watched as a slew off cross-shaped energy blades enveloped Sigurd after he rose out of the cloud. </p><p>Taking advantage of his inability to maneuver in the air and the cloaking abilities of her holograms, she had dashed from place to place at high speeds with the aid of her forcefields on her boots, dashing through the air as she released what Ecchan would later name ‘X-Saber Killing Flash’, or ‘X-flash’, which stuck despite MHX’s objections. </p><p>Slashing arcs of energy left her blades, one so bright it was closer to white than blue, the other a pure void with a red tint surrounding it’s outline. As she flashed from place to place, she continuously released energy blades from her two swords, constantly bombarding Sigurd with a dizzying array of strikes from all directions at once. </p><p>Crescents of light and darkness cut across the night sky, the night sky disappearing behind them as they filled Sigurd’s entire field of vision. Then he was moving like a madman, performing triple flips and sweeping his sword across the space around him in wide arcs, Gram turning into a rotating shield that covered his body as runes appeared in the air to assist him, blooming fire, crystal ice, swirling wind and ever expanding repertoire of runes that deflected, blocked and destroyed the blades of energy coursing through the air. </p><p>MHX picked up more and more momentum as she bounced through the air, each dash adding a fraction of speed that boosted her to ever greater heights, turning into a line of marine blue that blitzed through the air, only redirected through the assistance of her force fields that created footholds in empty air and allowed her to redirect her trajectory. In less than a minute, she was already moving fast enough to leave afterimages in the air, all the while never letting up on her ‘X-flash’.</p><p>Her control slipped the faster she went, but they were so numerous that they blanketed Sigurd with sheer quantity, despite the fact that some were on the verge of outright missing him. </p><p>Gray soon lost sight of Sigurd from the arcs surrounding him, and the afterimages from MHX’s movements. Under the light of the night sky, it looked like MHX had multiplied tenfold, the images of her body left in various positions in the air.</p><p>Slowly but surely, he became overwhelmed by the pure numbers and speed of the strikes he was receiving. It wasn’t just coming from any one direction, or multiple at once, but from almost every angle of attack conceivable as MHX leveraged her gathering momentum to almost teleport everywhere. As she picked up speed, it became less and less about where she wanted to go, and more about where she could direct her body to go, the stress of her movement making it increasingly difficult to control her direction. </p><p>Still, it was taking its toll on Sigurd too. A scratch on his cheek, a broken pauldron, his hair getting cut, gradually the attacks were getting through his seemingly impenetrable guard, his attention and stamina getting worn down through constant frenetic activity in trying to block everything, with even one crescent getting through to score a clean hit on him enough to spell doom as it would allow the rest to descend on him like a pack of hungry piranhas, ripping his body to pieces.</p><p>At this point, his wisdom was taxing his stamina with how hard it was working, neurons constantly firing faster than a machine-gun, overclocking and crunching calculations to predict the best course of action and movement, estimating every single trajectory of the projectiles thrown at him in the heat of battle. His trained body carried out these orders flawlessly, aligning both body and mind for the optimal path, speed-casting weaker runes to cover for him while he dealt with the closest threats. At the same time, his daggers shot in straight lines to intercept what they could, bending at sharp angles as they flew to the next spot that needed shielding.</p><p>It was just that, she was throwing too many too fast. </p><p>A solid wall of slashes that bore down on him, even his rapid defense of swordplay, runes and daggers had cracks in it. They were so infinitesimal no ordinary opponent would find them, but when he was being besieged on all sides at a furious pace, they were bound to be exposed. </p><p>Bit by bit, his body accumulated damage, his stamina draining with every slash he blocked, finding it harder and harder to move the more he used his body, a steady burn setting into the muscles. </p><p>When she felt it was enough, she stopped hurling energy beams at him. </p><p>The air rippled as she moved, the entire area that she had traveled through constantly vibrating from her passage through space. Even for Servants with high Agility rank, it was almost impossible to reach such speeds, much less consistently stay there. For MHX with the one of the highest ranks of Agility possible, she was only able to do so through immense periods of stress training, getting her body used to it, innate talent, and innovative usage of cutting edge technology that was the force-fields installed in her boots.</p><p>It was a warped image, a sphere that would fluctuate and distort every time MHX made a move around Sigurd. Gray couldn’t see MHX clearly from all the afterimages she was leaving behind, but it was clear how fast she was going from the fact that the very space where she moved through was changing the refractive index of the air, making it look like the entire area was under a lens of some sort, distorting the image that Gray could see.</p><p>So what would happen if she traveled towards Sigurd, instead of dashing in the air around him?</p><p>It came without warning. One moment, he was putting up a staunch defense against all her attacks, the next he was aware that his left arm was suddenly no longer there. </p><p>Or to be more precise, it was no longer at the position he expected it to be, instead bent at the elbow almost ninety degrees backwards, completely wrenched out of its socket. The gauntlet and vambraces protecting his arm too, were shattered, and he was left holding Gram with his right arm. </p><p>Then the vortex of wind hit him, the result of MHX moving at high speeds. </p><p>The trail of air blasted him in the side, tightly focused enough to not throw him completely to the side, but still pushing him at least a foot or so away from his original position. </p><p>Without the ‘X-flash’ MHX continuously sent out to keep him afloat, his body succumbing to gravity. </p><p>Behind him, he heard multiple bangs as MHX whizzed through the air, travelling at greater and greater velocities. </p><p>The scent of ozone filled the air as MHX charged her swords, mana gathering into the two energy blades, then swelling as more and more was added in, surpassing the amount she had used to throw the energy blades before. </p><p>Blazing a trail of solid plasma through the night, her figure zig-zagged from place to place, before inevitably heading towards the falling figure of Sigurd. </p><p>In a flash, it was over. </p><p>When Gray spotted MHX making the final turn towards Sigurd, there was already a pillar of light coursing from her afterimage towards the ground. </p><p>The sands lit up in electric blue light, a silent cloud of sand rising from the ground at where MHX had landed. The pillar hung suspended in the air, a bolt of lightning that enveloped Sigurd, thick enough to encompass his entire figure. </p><p>Then the shockwave accompanying the charge finally kicked into action, throwing a massive wave of sand into the air and hiding the pillar of light as it flickered and faded away, the trails of energy scattering to the winds. Gray was buffeted by the pure force of the sound that the charge released, shaking the very structure of the building behind her even from that distance. Beside her, the man sat silently, the starlight reflecting off his pupils, the image of the pillar burning into his eyes. </p><p>Kneeling in the crater that was quickly being filled in by rushing sand, MHX breathed heavily, her arms trembling with the two swords in her hand resting against the ground, the energy blades hissing and spitting against the grains of silicate. Slowly, she caught her breath, the immense effort and adrenaline required to perform that strike fading away as fatigue washed over her body. Inhaling, exhaling, she repeated the process until she felt she could stand up. </p><p>With her knees against the smooth sand, she lifted one leg and placed the sole of her foot against the ground, forcing herself to stand up with both swords still clenched in her palms. Even the simple act of standing felt draining, but she managed to accomplish this feat, once more standing at her full height. Her ahoge wagged on her head as she turned around, expecting to see the corpse of her opponent. </p><p>Turning her face, she was met with the turquoise edge of a flying dagger.</p><p>With barely any room to dodge, caught by surprise, she could only just barely tilt her head backwards, the dagger cutting a long gash along her cheek bone mirroring the thin wound that she had given Sigurd with one of her first few sword beams. </p><p>Ducking into a crouch, she brought her swords up in anticipation of more threats as she spun to face the direction dagger had come from. </p><p>There was no sign of Sigurd.</p><p>A shiver ran up her spine, and before she knew it a clawed hand closed around her throat and hoisted her up into the air. </p><p>Feeling her windpipe cut off, she reacted immediately and twisted her body as much as she could, arms swinging to bring her blades down on her assailant. </p><p>In response, the grip tightened around her neck as she moved, and then she felt a heavy blow to her spine connect. </p><p>A shock traveled through her entire body, her arms turning nerveless as the hilt of the both swords slipped between her limp fingers. Paralayzed, she could only jerk and twitch as the lack of oxygen clouded her mind, unable to even lift her hands to claw at the monstrous grip around her throat. </p><p>Bit by bit, the edges of her vision darkened as the world blurred in front of her eyes. Spit flew from her mouth as she opened it wide in a desperate attempt to breathe, but nothing passed into her lungs. A gurgling sound filled the air as she hung in the air, gasping like a fish out of water. The neon blue lines on her suit dimmed as she choked, the color in her eyes fading the longer the hand maintained it’s hold. </p><p>Turning whiter and whiter, her skin turned an unhealthy pallor as it became deathly pale, her eyes beginning to bulge out of their sockets. The ahoge that had been madly twitching when she had first been grabbed was now weakly waving from side to side, drooping more than ever. The spasms that ran through her body grew less and less frequent, her struggles ceasing as bloody froth started to spew out of her mouth. </p><p>Ten seconds passed, then half a minute, then a minute. </p><p>After waiting for two more minutes, seeing that she wasn’t so much as twitching anymore, he released his hold around her neck. </p><p>Like a sack of potatoes, she dropped to the ground, her limbs loosely splayed around her as the body went face first into the sand. </p><p>Standing next to her corpse, Sigurd looked down at it with an unreadable expression. </p><p>Originally, he hadn’t expected to come out of that final strike alive, but his gift of wisdom had unexpectedly pointed out an avenue of resolution that he had yet to consider. While he was unable to do anything beyond protecting himself under the intense barrage of attacks, the majority of his brain occupied with intercepting the attacks and blocking the beams, one small part stayed calm, seeking for a way out of this stalemate. </p><p>That small part calculated until it reached a conclusion, that it was all a setup for MHX to unleash a killing blow against Sigurd while he was heavily preoccupied with all the sword beams raining down on him. However, it was also true that if he diverted even the slightest attention away from the projectiles, they would definitely cut him up, or at least severely injure him to the point of being unable to combat. Therefore, he had to wait until she stopped throwing the arcs of energy towards him, and grab the opportunity when she performed the fatal strike herself, since that was what his calculations indicated she had the highest chance of performing. </p><p>When the break in the projectiles occurred, he would take advantage of the slight opening to enact a last ditch resort he would never have considered using if it was under normal circumstances, but owing to the fact that he was close to defeat, and that Brynhildr was waiting for him as well, he couldn’t fall here. </p><p>Instead, he would live as a dragon. </p><p>Coded deep into the genetic makeup of the Saberverse Sigurd, was the dragon factor. While in the universe of Emiya Shirou, Sigurd had bathed in the blood of a dragon after slaying it to receive the benefits that came along with it, in MHX’s universe he had been born, or rather made, with it. Genetically engineered and raised in an environment with external stimuli that induced the ability into his body, much like how MHXX was made, he had grew up with the blessings of a dragon in his body, allowing him to display superhuman abilities that far exceeded that of other Servants in the Servantverse. The factor of a dragon was nothing to sneeze at, even in the massively technologically advanced Servantverse, and with the decline of true dragons, even those with the least thread of connection with them gained power as mystery consolidated and crystallized into those that contained dragon-like traits. </p><p>F.A.F.N.I.R. had been the organisation to create and raise him, in order to have a fully obedient agent that was powerful enough to serve as a weapon against any obstacles that required finesse and power to deal with, as well as to create a symbol of fear to threaten their enemies and competitors. </p><p>In the end, he had broken free of their captivity, along with the other experiment who became known as Siegfried later on, and went on the run with the man he could call his brother in all but blood, the two of them travelling the galaxy while growing up, getting stronger and stronger while they went on adventure after adventure, defeating armies, quelling rebellions, delivering fast-food and rescuing sparrows from the clutches of space octopi. </p><p>Then Sigurd met Brynhildr, then masquerading as an agent of F.A.F.N.I.R., and he fell in love at first sight. </p><p>After various twists and turns, including exploration of uncharted space regions, a trip through an ancient temple, plus the discovery and subsequent destruction of a planet altering ark, he and Sigurd finally embarked on a crusade against F.A.F.N.I.R, Sigurd for his love, and Siegfried because he wanted to, in his own words, ‘stand up for what he believed in”.</p><p>The rest went without saying. They had succeeded, but in the process, complications occurred, and he and Brynhildr were branded as fugitives by the Galactic Police, with Siegfried standing trial for crimes he never committed. In the end, they could only entrust Siegfried’s life into the expert hands of the Watson Agency, and pray that he could be proven innocent. In the meantime, they decided to lay low, waiting out the unwanted attention on deserted planets and out of the way systems. </p><p>This was the first time though that he had been forced to fall back on such a backup. In all his long years fighting and battling, against opponents ranging from your run of the mill thugs, to great Sabers that were once feared across the galaxy, he had never fought against someone like MHX. To force him to come to this, meant she had been his strongest enemy so far. </p><p>Flexing his hand, he stared at it through red eyes, the right eye a slitted pupil just like a reptiles, red irises surrounding it with a flaming wave pattern encircling it. Scales dotted the right side of his face, growing more and more numerous until they completely replaced the skin just below his jaw, going all the way under his ruined gargot and protective collar. The burnt patches of his clothes exposed the skin, revealing that at least part of his chest was also coated in gray scale like material, and it led to his right arm, now completely transformed into something else.</p><p>Ridged scales ended in a sharpened point at his elbow, a particularly prominent arrow shaped scale poking out of the back. The inner side of his arm had a thin line of smoother, less protruding scaly skin, with the individual scales larger and more separated the further away from the inner side they were, overlapping on each other to form an impenetrable wall of draconic armour, a dull sheen coating the surface of the scales. His wrist was covered on the back by one large, oval shaped scale that branched off to three paths, the one in the middle leading tapering to the sharp arrows shaped scale on his elbow. Even his fingers were wrapped in layers, the ends where the fingernails would have been replaced by ivory claws that glistened under the stars. He still had five fingers, but he noticed that they seemed to be more or less equal in length, with the sole exception of his thumb, which had also shifted closer to his wrist in terms of position.</p><p>Two spiraling horns similar to Siegfried’s own that had manifested after an excruciating fight had appeared on his head, though his were curved in a ‘V’ shaped that ended up pointed downwards somewhere towards his chin, with two sharp lines running down the sides. His teeth as well were more pointed than flat as well, the majority of his teeth sharpened to a point. Most of his hair had turned white, with the sole exception of two black streaks running just above his ears. </p><p>He could also feel random sections of skin that had turned into scales scrape against what remained of his armour on the inside, some parts of his armor going so far as to fuse with the flesh and become part of his body, partly due to the extreme heat from MHX’s blow, partly from the change his body had undergone that had required materials to incorporate in order to carry out of the metamorphosis. Much of his original flesh had been destroyed by MHX, but in exchange it gave him an easier time of becoming the hybrid that he was right now, expressing his draconic traits more overtly as they rose to the surface. </p><p>Not just the outside, but the inside had changed too. The moment when MHX had unleashed her final strike in the sequence, his mind had blanked out from the pain his body went through, the baseball cap wearing ‘Saber-killer’ coming very close to actually completely destroying him entirely. For a brief moment, he could almost feel his core naked against the all-consuming slash, the pillar of energy no metaphor as he felt himself disappear, his mind floating away even as the runes that he had carved out one by one earlier activated automatically. Sparing as much time and attention as he could while enduring the barrage earlier, he had painstakingly made the preparations for his transformation, making as much allowance as he could in the hits he could take while ensuring that he didn’t mess up. </p><p>As a result, he seemed to be worn down from MHX’s perspective, taking more and more damage, injuries that seemed to increase in severity as time went on. Yet the blood hid the shape of the runes that burned their way onto the surface of his armor, her constant movement also preventing her from getting a good glimpse at the minute, but significant changes on his body. Using a close shave as a disguise, he destroyed the mask on his face, the Crystallized Wisdom disappearing as he incorporated it into his bodily modification. </p><p>But he still needed sufficient energy, his own body a catalyst that required a kickstart. In addition, it would be much quicker if his own body was destroyed, to allow for rapid growth of the draconic cells that would replace the body he currently had. The more that was destroyed, the more he could just regrow after he triggered the modifications, without having to change the flesh one cell at a time. Speed was of the essence if he wanted to catch MHX by surprise. It would be more painful for sure, but he didn’t see any other way to do it without revealing his survival to MHX.</p><p>Without revealing his hand, he had quietly endured until he felt the barrage ease up slightly, the momentary break occurring when MHX charged up for her final attack in the sequence, her twin swords glowing in her hands. At that moment, instead of guarding, he instead moved Gram to the side as he embraced the undodgeable blow with his entire body, making no attempt to safeguard himself against the torrent of pure energy that lit him up like a candle. </p><p>There were no words to describe the pain he felt. The skin that had easily withstood MHX’s earlier strikes, deflecting blaster bolts from thugs all across the galaxy and protected him against even the vacuum of space was vaporized, the surface flaking off into ash. The sinew and muscle underneath had a moment of brief agony where they were superheated, his nerves exploding trying to convey the sense of pain to his mind, and then those nerves were gone as well. Bit by bit, even the armor that refused to yield against the strongest warriors in F.A.F.N.I.R. melted, the metal crumbling and warping in the face of immense heat and pressure. </p><p>Unable to see or hear anything, all he could tell in that interminable span of undeath was the vague sensation of his body being destroyed and remade almost instantly, flesh, bone and skin disappearing, only to be replaced by something else, something more. Unexpectedly, there was a brief lull of peace and quiet as all of his senses shut down, both from overloading and being destroyed outright. </p><p>Then he started howling in agony inside of his mind, a seasoned and experienced warrior that had stood against an organization that could rival the Galactic Police, reduced to a screaming, shivering wreck in his own mental landscape. The feeling of having his nerves forged alongside his muscles and bone was excruciating to say the least. Having them taken away was bad enough, but regrowing them was at least triple that sensation, if he could quantify in such a way. </p><p>Within his body, a surge of searing heat accompanied the regrowing parts of his body, large quantities of energy being released from a previously dormant part of his body, locked deep away in his core when had been mostly human. It was now fully activated, his entire being embracing the repressed draconic traits as they surfaced, and even his organs themselves were modified to accommodate his changing body, his internal systems sporting some differences from his previous body. One more obvious part was the material that was used to construct his organs, a fleshy material that was grey in color, replacing all the pinkish meat most humans and Servants possessed. Another was that his lungs had changed, becoming closer to what a dragon would have, a living and breathing world in and of itself.</p><p>The magic reactor core that he originally possessed as a human expanded, jumping from being the equivalent of a nuclear power plant to a country filled with nuclear power plants. There was simply no comparison for before and after, with his physical and magical capabilities greatly heightened, his body now a moving fortress that was capable of devastating a city in a day, a country in a week. Beside him, the shards of Gram and the sword itself melted under the sustained heat, the red hot pieces of metal melding into his body and sinking under his skin, becoming one with him. The same happened with most of his armor pieces as well, the intense pressure compacting them and pushing them into his flesh as he regrew them, the modification ritual also actively seeking material to nourish his instantaneous growth. </p><p>Throughout all this, the pillar of energy that MHX created with one single slash persisted, appearing long before she swung the swords and continuing long after, an indicator and after-effect that continuously existed to exterminate the enemy utterly. Yet for Sigurd, the ether was consumed for energy, even as it wrecked his body and atomized him, his transformation signature masked by the abundant energy she released. In a matter of seconds, Sigurd was able to complete his ritual under the protection of her attack, and with her exhausted state both physically and mentally, she was unable to detect anything amiss from him. </p><p>Constantly moving at speeds that created afterimages exacted a heavy price on her body, and having to attack and redirect her own body at the same time required pinpoint control and attention to prevent herself from running into her own slashes. In the face of such backlash, she only reserved such an attack for the final killing blow. </p><p>If Sigurd had wavered for a single moment during his preparation, carving the runes and opening his magic reactor, if he had suffered one more injury than he had during his defense against MHX, if he had lost his will during the extreme endurance of the modification, he would have died without question. Despite the odds though, he managed to muster the strength to last through it all, his soul urging him onwards, to push through everything and grasp at the slightest chance of victory. </p><p>If he died here, he would be leaving Brynhildr alone in this galaxy. </p><p>Instinctively understanding this, his spirit refused to give up, and the Cool Glasses Strategist of Bolverk Gram (his actual title given in the bounty poster MHX saw earlier), in spite of all that he went through, his mental composure completely shattered, his mind blank and unresponsive, he still did not die. </p><p>Then his eyes opened, and he was staring at the starry sky above, unfiltered by light pollution, belts of sparkling diamonds and colorful nebulas filling the dark canvas of the night. Before, his eyes could easily pick out the most distant specks of blinking lights, rendering the majestic view in its entirety, but now it was different. Looking up at the sky, he realized he could zoom in like a telescope, his vision closing in on one small dot that he would just barely have been able to spot before, unless he had the aid of runes assisting him. A heart-shaped spear, a curtain of pale hair that could be mistaken for the clouds of cosmic dust drifting lightyears away behind her, blending in with the nebulas and constellations. For him, she shone brighter than any of the breathtaking views in the sky, arresting his eyes and demanding his attention.</p><p>Closing his eyes, he smiled. </p><p>In a blur of movement, his body lifted off the sand with as little noise as possible, taking advantage of MHX’s exhaustion and her lack of attention as she perceived him as being defeated. With her guard lowered, she took a moment to recover on the sand, kneeling on the rough ground as she caught her breath. </p><p>In that fatal gap, he struck. </p><p>The moment he started moving, he almost overshot her by a full mile. He could feel immense power gathering in his limbs, not just his muscles pulling and tugging, but mana also injected into his body from the rampant core in his body, distributing energy throughout his body to prepare for a massive leap that would carry him far from his planned destination. </p><p>It was only because of his split-second reflexes that he managed to rein in his newfound power and freeze in place, keeping his body from shooting forward and alerting Assassin to his presence. Acting quickly, he shot out a dagger from within his arm, the turquoise tip poking out beneath his wrist as it streaked forward through the air, a green dart aimed at her head that failed to penetrate, the girl whipping her head aside at the last second. </p><p>However, it distracted her long enough for his sudden rise and overflowing mana from his core to go unnoticed, her attributing the sudden spike in her sixth sense to the dagger thrown at her, and he sealed it off as best he could, though since his new body wasn’t exactly adapted for stealth, there was only so much he could achieve. But it was enough.</p><p>In the brief moment it took for her to notice the dagger, dodge it and whirl around, he had managed to cut off his presence to the best of his ability and utilize his newfound speed to circle around her, easily catching her unaware and grabbing her.</p><p>In her exhausted state, there was no contest between the two in terms of strength. As an added precaution, he ruthlessly slammed a fist into a spot along her spine that immediately paralyzed her, perhaps permanently for the rest of her life, on the infinitesimal chance that she survived past having her neck squeezed to death.</p><p>He could easily have punched his fist through her core and ended it, but at this point, seeing her dangle from is fist helplessly, spit and saliva staining his fingers as he held her aloft as easily as a feather, his heart relented. Instead of staining his hands with blood, he opted to remain as he was, even though the result would be the same. Slowly, he felt the life leave her body as she grew slack in her hands, unable to twitch or even spasm anymore, and then once he felt her grow completely still, he released her. </p><p>She felt to the ground ungracefully, a ring of purple hand marks around her neck, bruises inflicted from his incredibly tight grip. Looking down at her, he waited for her to show signs of life. After a full five minutes of simply staring at her corpse, he waved the dagger he had shot out earlier, and sent it piercing through the small of her back. Slowly, it sank into her limp flesh, easily parting the flesh and blood, forcing its way deeper and deeper into her body. Despite what his newfound senses told him, he still wanted to make certain that she was down for good. </p><p>Before it reached a third of the blade into her, he stopped, satisfied at the lack of reaction. The dagger released from its place pierced into her body, floating back into his arm as a slit opened up to receive it under his wrist. </p><p>With his battered body, now a strange fusion of both draconic and humane features, he gazed up at the sky.</p><p>“I’m fine darling. You can come down.”</p><p>The words rang in her head, and she smiled before plunging down to return to her beloved, the need for her position in space as insurance gone with MHX dead.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0169"><h2>169. Chapter 169</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 169</p><p>It was a vast expanse of nothingness. </p><p>As far as the eye could see, everything was white above, with no features, irregularities or anything that disturbed the flat sky which stretched infinitely into every direction, a perfectly blank canvas. The ground was just tinted a slightly darker shade than the sky, making it an extremely light shade of gray that was just barely differentiable from the sky. As it was, it still felt disorienting for most people to stand in such a space, an empty place where only an unbroken ceiling of white and a smooth, featureless gray ground existed. </p><p>In the middle of nowhere, MHX lay on the ground, her skin unblemished from any wounds, simply looking like she was sleeping to any observers in the place. Her chest rose and fell in rhythm, mouth slightly ajar as she rested with her back on the floor, face towards the sky. </p><p>Slowly, her nose twitched once, then twice, a familiar smell drifting to her face and stimulating her olfactory senses. Ahoge twitching, her conscious slowly surfaced, eyes fluttering open as she stirred from her fitful slumber. </p><p>“Ughhh, what’s this smell?”</p><p>Upon opening her eyes, the first thing she did wasn’t to marvel at her surroundings, but instead track down the source of the smell that was the cause of her awakening. Looking around and following her nose, she almost knocked over the cup of Instant Cosmo Noodles at her side when her hand edged close to it, the source of the smell leaking out from under the unsealed foil cover. </p><p>“Eh?”</p><p>Closing her hands around the warm styrofoam cup, she lifted up to her eyes to inspect. It was just like the ones she used to eat at Cosmo Chaldea Academy, as well as the ones she stocked up on when travelling in the Dun Stallion. The white and silver design, with two gold stripes going around the top and bottom of the cup, and the blue galaxy spiral symbol of the brand with the white splash in the middle were all exactly the same to what she was used to. Taking a look at the ingredients and nutritional information which she had memorized by heart at this point, she couldn’t find anything out of place either. Looking at the bottom, there was even an expiry date, though the best before area was left blank, and the manufacture date was...today?</p><p>Suddenly, she recalled what she had been going through before she woke up in this strange place. The memories surged forth in her head, the fierce battle with the storied dragonslayer and his wife, her intense efforts in the first phase that consisted of many tricks of the trade that she had learnt and also developed herself from the years of travelling as a bounty hunter. The next phase had her unleashing as much skill and power as she could, but it still wasn’t enough. </p><p>She had known from first sight that they were strong, and even when she first saw the bounty poster at the entrance of the ramen restaurant, she already recognized them and knew them by reputation. After all, who didn’t know the dragon-slaying hero Siegfried and his brother Sigurd? Though the two had now fallen into hardtimes, most people in the Ether Galaxy still revered them as heroes, and their reputation had barely been touched despite the Galactic Police issuing bounties against them. Even so, she had really thought she had a chance against them, but in the end, she just wasn’t strong enough. </p><p>She reflected as she ate the cup of Cosmo Noodles, a pair of chopsticks conveniently appearing next to her when the thought of eating the noodles popped up in her head. Slurping the delicious seasoned noodles kept her calm, the familiar taste of salty and savoury spices spreading across her mouth as she finished the whole cup at record speeds. </p><p>So, what had happened after she died?</p><p>She clearly remembered performing her final attack, and then getting a dagger thrown at her which she dodged, only to be blindsided by Sigurd and choked to death. She wasn’t bitter or anything about her defeat and death or anything, but she was sure that if she had been looking in the right direction, she wouldn’t have lost like that. Sigurd had just gotten lucky, the next time he fought her, she’d surely win. </p><p>That was, if there was a next time. </p><p>Setting down the empty cup, with only a few droplets of soup remaining on the insides of the foam walls, she stood up and took a good look at her surroundings. </p><p>It didn’t take her long, with the lack of anything special. All there was white sky and gray ground, and that was it. The only other object there other than herself was the still-warm cup with chopsticks laid across the cap neatly.</p><p>Was this heaven? Hell? Purgatory? She’d heard of these concepts, but she didn’t expect them to be true. There were many religions in the Ether Galaxy after all, and the afterlife wasn’t a foreign concept. Though with the existence of Servants that had links with the underworld, undead and ghosts, it was kind of a moot point. In addition, all beings in the galaxy were made of Ether, so they couldn’t die through natural causes either, except for the rumored seven Humans that were supposed to still exist. Personally, MHX didn’t have something like that which she believed in, but perhaps…</p><p>Could this be the rumored land? Once, she’d heard from a sketchy white-haired man calling himself ‘Space onii-san Merlin’, that there was a land of everflowing snacks, supplying the person who ended up there with anything they desired. Avalon, she remembered, that was what it was called. Ecchan had also mentioned something similar, a place called the Land of Anko, though she wasn’t sure whether she’d misheard the girl or not. Still, if there was any place that she’d deem as heaven, a place where she could have as many Cosmo Noodles as she wanted in any variety she wanted was surely heaven. </p><p>As if in response to her thoughts, another cup of Cosmo Noodles popped into existence out of thin air, exactly the same as the first one, chopsticks crossed over the foil cover as a slight wisp of steam escaped the insides. Crouching down, MHX stared at it. Then after a moment of scrutiny, she followed her instincts and picked it up, using the chopsticks to start eating it. There was no sense in refusing a perfectly good cup of Cosmo Noodles, the best edible strings in the galaxy, or so their advertisements said. It was certainly MHX’s favourite though. </p><p>Slurping on the noodles, she decided to experiment a bit on what she could in this unknown place she had been thrown in. Closing her eyes, she pictured the curry cheese flavoured version. The smooth creaminess of the noodles and slight hints of spice mixing with the pleasing taste of melted cheese appeared in her mind, and when she opened her eyes, the noodles inside had changed from the original secret recipe to the taste she had just thought of. Experimentally pulling up a few strands up for a taste test, she was pleased to find it exactly the same as she remembered. Thick broth paired with actual cheese that somehow combined with the soup to become a truly heavenly taste, sliding down her tongue as rich flavours of curry spices rode on waves of cheesiness, delivering the thin yet chewy noodles into her mouth. It was particularly satisfying to eat, with a nice texture to the noodles and thicker broth than the original that gave it a sense of weight which settled in one’s stomach when it was eaten. </p><p>With one flavour tested, she proceeded to go on an eating spree as she explored the limits of this power, going on to imagine each and every she had ever tasted before as they manifested one by one. Occasionally, she would also mix it up with other types of food, such as ohagi, oshiruko, yatsuhashi and manjū, which were all Ecchan’s favourites.</p><p>By the time she was done, there was a pile of cups as high as her on the ground, with several miniature pyramids dotting the landscape here and there around the largest pile. There was an intense smell of different broths, with her having tried almost as many flavours and versions as the company had officially released. The scent of hundreds of spices drifted in the air, heady incense at what could be mistaken for a shrine to Cosmo Noodles. At the foot of the massive styrofoam stack, MHX lay on the ground, blissfully resting on the ground from all the eating she had done.</p><p>“No doubt about it, this must be the promised land.”</p><p>If she knew that this was awaited her after death, she totally wouldn’t have minded dying. As her ahoge twitched lazily, a thin line of drool leaked from her mouth and stretched past her mouth while she thought about the possibilities. She could have any food she wanted, and perhaps it could even be possible to invent new flavours, mixing different tastes together, or make small adjustments to existing recipes to create completely different experiences. Already, she could imagine the vast sea of unknown culinary islands to explore, the depths she would plunge into with her tongue and imagination. </p><p>Those thoughts all vanished when her back prickled. </p><p>Despite her having eaten at least her equivalent in weight of food, her unique metabolic system meant it was all digested and converted into energy the moment it entered her stomach. As a result, she didn’t even feel the slightest hint of being full, though after eating so much she at least had a sense of satisfaction while her stomach was technically mostly empty. </p><p>It also meant she could go into a triple somersault in the air instantly without throwing up the contents of her eating spree as she dodged a heavy strike that smashed the pile of instant noodle cups to bits, blowing over the smaller stacks nearby as well. </p><p>There were no further attacks against her while she was in the air, and she quickly returned to the ground with a light landing. Turning around, she glared at whatever had attacked her out of nowhere.  </p><p>To her surprise, it was someone she recognized.</p><p>“Gawain?”</p><p>Indeed, it was the golden haired knight from planet Britain. The large blue cape and fur neck that he usually donned as formal dress over his armor, along with his gold trimmed black doublet, were both gone in favour of his usual plate armor that reflected the light, in this case the white and gray of the empty space they were in. On his breastplate, a pattern of flowers and vines stretched from his navel to his right chest, and clutched in both hands was the unmistakable form of Excalibur Galatine, the weapon that together with his prodigious abilities and blessings, granted him the title of ‘Solar Sword’ in the Ether Galaxy. </p><p>“Yes, it is I, Space Mash extraordinaire and master of the ‘Blazing Sun’ style, Gawain the Solar Sword!”</p><p>Shit, it’s actually him.</p><p>Everything, from his mannerisms, the way he spoke to his movements and annoyingly showy gestures that he simply did naturally all matched up to what she’d seen of him in real life. However, she was pretty sure there was no way that he’d end up here of all places. In the first place, he wasn’t qualified to end up in the Land of Anko, instead more likely going to Hell, or Hell’s kitchen, if such a place did indeed exist. His space mash that he made was more than enough to qualify him a spot in the hottest pits of inferno, defeating more people than his blade had ever managed, and his other title of ‘Space Mash’ Gawain would probably be more well-known if his name hadn’t first spread due to his single-handed extermination of whole armies on Britain. </p><p>Still, his oblivious, painfully forward nature didn’t mean he wasn’t a threat. On the contrary, it meant he could fight while giving it his all, sinking all his power into every slash and stab, his strength flowing freely from the bottom of his heart. Though he may be a shadow in this realm, the smash he had performed was enough to set her on edge, making her wary of how powerful this false Gawain was. </p><p>Narrowing her eyes, she settled into her fighting stance, sword in each hand. </p><p>Then she looked down, and realized her trusty partners weren’t anywhere near her.</p><p>“Oh sh-”</p><p>She leaped sideways as a cleaving arc of solar energy passed through where she was a second ago. </p><p>“Prepare yourself for a taste of my sunny sword!”</p><p>“You’re already attacking me!!!”</p><p>And no one wanted to taste anything he made, though she bit back this remark as she dodged a few more large, but telegraphed solar beams similar to the ones she had launched at Sigurd when they fought. Oblivious to the fact that she wasn’t fighting back without weapons, Gawain advanced on her, quickly getting within range of his sword and striking physically, blazing flames coating his sword and extending its reach while increasing the danger it posed as well. </p><p>With no weapons in her hand, MHX resolved to avoid getting hit as much as she could, weaving as best as she could between the slow, but heavy swings of Gawain’s blade. </p><p>He was strong. </p><p>There were no two ways about it. Even if the person in front of her was just a projection, it was a projection of someone who wielded true strength, on par with some of the toughest enemies she had ever faced, including Sigurd. Every blow he made was enough to split stone and shake the earth, the only reason there was no damage to the ground being the unique properties of this isolated space. Though she could make five thrusts in the space of time he needed to make one slash, that one slash was enough to seriously pressure her and force to read ahead as much as she could, pre-dodging as fast as possible to put the maximum amount of distance between her and the flaming blade. At range, the heat was already licking at her skin, turning her sweaty palms dry and roasting her face, so it was obvious what would happen if she let it get any closer. </p><p>The large flaming sword filled her vision again and again as it swung rapidly, not as fast as she could do, but packing power and chilling accuracy that made it difficult to dodge, covering as wide an area as possible. She was constantly kept on her toes, both figuratively and literally, her body moving about in a three-dimensional space as she performed extreme acrobatics in the air, her legs slicing and whirling as she spun on the ground, sometimes upright, sometimes upside down, using every part of her body to leverage against the ground and push her out of the way. </p><p>A timely cartwheel got her out of the way as she felt the soles of her shoes heat up uncomfortably, then she was bending over backward like a human bridge as her back went parallel to the floor, the sword cutting through the air right above her, her eyes locked on to the flickering flames running along it. Letting her body fall to the ground, she pushed off with one hand and rolled horizontally as the sword dropped and slammed into the floor she once occupied, releasing a burst of flames that nearly caught up to her before she pushed off the ground with both hands and launched into the air, seeing the flames wash across the floor harmlessly underneath her. </p><p>Seizing the chance, Gawain stepped forward in one large stride and swung his sword with both hands, a painfully bright arc of solar energy emitting from his sword in a continuous beam towards MHX’s body suspended in mid-air. </p><p>With no way to maneuver, she instinctively activated the force fields under her feet. All that happened was that she wasted an extra second in the air. Frantically, she searched through her mind for anything that could possibly save her. Unfortunately, all she could think of in her panic was Cosmo Noodles. Which she blurted out of her mouth.</p><p>“COSMO NOODLES!”</p><p>Immediately, two cups of the food appeared under her feet. </p><p>Without thinking, she kicked as hard as she could off the object, the recoil blasting her off in the opposite direction as the cup noodles disintegrated from the force of her kick, the remains sent flying far off into the distance. However, she managed to successfully dodge the death beam of extreme heat, though she could literally smell the air being boiled into plasma, ozone drifting near her face while the blast went past her. </p><p>Skidding to a halt on the ground, she didn’t wait while Gawain charged towards her, turning around and running as fast she could while dodging the projectiles and beams that came at her, leaving the place where she had first appeared far behind her.</p><p>While relying on her finely-tuned sense of danger and fast reflexes to avoid injury, she kept running and pondering what she should do. </p><p>The sudden appearance of this Gawain was a mystery, and she had no idea why he was attacking her as well. He didn’t seem to be receptive to her words, and on top of that she didn’t have any way to fight back either. Her suit wasn’t working, which in its current condition might as well be a fancy latex fetish suit for sci-fi play. None of her gadgets worked either, and she was pretty sure her swords wouldn’t be appearing any time soon. She had tried imagining them appearing in her hands, or her suit working as it should and providing support, but it didn’t work. </p><p>Well, there was no time to worry about that right now. If she didn’t find a way to stop Gawain attacking her, she would eventually run out of stamina, or slip up and get hit at some point. She had (probably?) already died once, and wasn’t in a hurry to do so again. While moving around, she considered her options available to her. She had her body, which included her fists and legs, and the ability to create Cosmo Noodles from thin air. </p><p>Could she perhaps use the Cosmo Noodles to attack him somehow? Experimentally, she conjured two cups and threw them at him, using her fists to punch them like she had seen Sigurd done. </p><p>They were burnt to ashes after barely leaving her fists by a solar beam, which she promptly moved out of the way of. </p><p>Well, it looked like directly attacking Gawain with them probably wouldn’t do anything. </p><p>Then what about just attacking him directly with her body?</p><p>As soon as she thought of the idea, she discarded it. While it was true that she could perform hand-to-hand combat if needed, on the whole she simply sucked at it. </p><p>She remembered getting her ass handed to her on a silver platter during the combat training classes which involved hand-to-hand combat. Getting pinned, grappled, suplexed, powerbombed, dropped, headlocked, thrown and more had toughened MHX, but it also made her keenly aware of how bad she was in battle while fighting with empty hands. If she tried to get close, at best she would be able to scratch his armor, and at worst she’d simply be fried and burnt to crisp when she tried to throw a punch. No, fighting directly like this wasn’t an option. </p><p>She conjured the several more cups of Cosmo Noodles into existence to use them as footholds to step into the air, air-walking with the principle of equal reaction in forces as she stepped on them with tremendous speed and strength, granting her more avenues to dodge as the cosmic rays of solar power came at her. Seeing her movements in the air, Gawain lowered his sword and assumed a different stance. It seemed that this false Gawain was starting to realize that his tactics of simply throwing energy beams to harass her from afar and slashing at her while she was close wasn’t working out, so he switched strategies. With a large bound, he leapt backwards, placing some distance between him and MHX.</p><p>For MHX, it was a welcome break as she let him go, keeping her eyes on him as she weighed her options. </p><p>Lowering his right hand, he balanced the sword, then threw it upwards, the blade spinning like a boomerang. </p><p>MHX stared at him quizzically, then she suddenly realized what he was about to do. </p><p>Turning around, she sprinted as fast as possible, carelessly exposing her back to him as she ran recklessly, summoning all her speed and stamina to run like a mad.</p><p>“Under the sun’s guidance, I will raze all in front of me to the ground.”</p><p>Above his head, a brilliant ball of orange flames expanded, with a brilliant white core within the center, and molten yellow flowing around the core. Circles of flame stretched in the sky with the globe as the epicenter as it released its power, turning miles and miles of space into a furnace as the temperature skyrocketed instantly, the heat capable of cooking eggs near the edges of its area of influence, and the closer one got to the ball of fire, the hotter it became. It would be instant death for any Servant who stood next to it, save for an exceptional few. And MHX was not one of them. </p><p>Once she felt the heat on her back, she put on even more speed, squeezing every last bit of energy from her body as her legs changed from a blur to an illusion of slow-motion from going too fast. But she knew it still wasn’t enough. </p><p>“This holy sword is the sun itself.”</p><p>A thin golden line stretched down to him from the flames above, golden shards flaking off it as extended. It stopped right around his torso, and lifting both hands, he gripped the golden rod as if it were his sword, which in a sense it was. </p><p>As soon as he touched it, the world shifted. </p><p>The entire white and gray space became tinted in orange and yellow, the globe expanding even further as it became just like a miniature sun, rising further and further into the sky until one had to wonder how it didn’t reach the ceiling. Or perhaps, there was no ceiling, and only a white blankness above. </p><p>Circles of flames turned into yellowish white halos of pure heat and energy, circling the sun and the golden line that stretched from Gawain towards his artificial sun. Golden motes of light rose up from the ground all around him, concentrating most densely around Gawain and the rod that had now swelled to the size of a pillar, and was still growing in size. It wasn’t just around Gawain though, as even under MHX’s feet, golden dots of light were shimmering into existence. Despite doing nothing to hinder as she simply passed right through them, she ran faster at the sight of them, her frenzied mind sinking further into the mad dash to get away.</p><p>Then the winds of convection hit her, strong enough to cause her to stumble even with how far she was away from Gawain at this point, almost just a speck at the distance they were at. Air was quickly rising up, constantly expanding as it was heated, the air around the rings and the sun turned to plasma and added to its size as more and more air rose into the air to provide fuel. What this created was a vacuum below as less and less air molecules existed near the ground with everything being heated, resulting in the air outside the area of influence being dragged in to fill the gap and creating strong winds that tore at MHX’s body, forcefully slowing her down as the air rushed in to plug the vacuum created behind her. </p><p>Doggedly, she continued to run head first into the wind, getting closer to the ground to avoid windshear until she was running almost parallel to the ground, her legs kicking her forward instead of bouncing her body upwards. </p><p>The wind roared him, light clashing and rising into the air as the temperatures rose far beyond and living being’s tolerance, but Gawain remained unmoved throughout it, channeling the solar power that coursed through every fiber of his body as he prepared to unleash the blow that cemented his name throughout the galaxy. A knight of the stars wielding the power of a star itself, a light that would pierce the heavens. </p><p>“HOLY SWORD OF STARS, SWING AND CLEANSE!”</p><p>Surging forth from Gawain’s position, a ring of fire flooded forwards like a tsunami of heat, stretching in every direction as it eagerly consumed everything in its way, even the very air itself. This alone, was enough to destroy armies and win wars. </p><p>Then the light from the heavens fell. </p><p>“DON”</p><p>A deep basso sound reverberated all around MHX as she felt her entire body shake as the ground rumbled. It felt like something absolutely massive was going to fall on her, but instead of there being a shadow, she felt the light around grow more and more intense, the ground glowing so brightly it felt like she was being blinded. </p><p>Blind fear clawed at her heart, her back feeling like it was going to fall off at any moment because of the heat. Yet she kept on moving, refusing to succumb to the despair and pain as she dragged every scrap of willpower she had ever possessed into existence, pumping her legs until they were bruised and screaming for her to stop, her arms swinging in defiance of her fate as she tried to outrun her imminent death. </p><p>Far above her, a solid wall of light blocked out the ceiling. </p><p>It was no longer a thin line that Gawain held in his hands, but a monstrously large pillar that was already the width of several football fields put together from end to end, radiating enough heat to vaporize metal and cut through earth all the way down to Hell. And it was still getting bigger. </p><p>There was nothing she could do to stop it. It continued to stretch at a rate far faster than she could outrun, gradually making up the distance that she’d managed to between herself and Gawain as it became longer and longer, his seemingly effortless swing downwards sending a disaster of titanic proportions crashing down on her, an epicly large amount of energy being released as it was fully unleashed from the cruel sun hanging in the sky, hellbent on burning everything in its path to ashes. </p><p>Feeling her body shake more and more as it descended, MHX forced her body to it’s limit, but it had nothing left to give. She had already pushed it all the way to it’s last reserves of strengths, exhausting everything that she could output, and was only hanging on by a tether without collapsing from overworking herself. She could only watch as the light grew brighter and brighter from behind her, her shadow standing out in stark contrast as it became highlighted against the brilliant floor reflecting the illumination from above. </p><p>It grew so hot that she couldn’t even feel the heat any more. Or rather, it was a constant pressure bearing down on her, crushing her body and smothering her senses as the sweat that flowed out of her pores vaporized on contact with the air. It felt like her entire body was in the process of melting with every step she took, her legs still miraculously moving in spite of her feeling like they had turned into jelly. </p><p>The air blurred, or maybe her vision blurred. Struggling, she forced her eyelids open, but there was nothing to see. Without a marker in sight, all there was to see was the white sky and gray ground, with even these distorted as the air turned into a haze of heat, making her doubt her eyes. Then it turned completely black, until she realized it was her closing her eyes, immediately opening them with sheer will. The light stabbed at her eyes, but there was little she could do about it. </p><p>Standing under the raging sun that was now spitting solar flares that spiked randomly from its surface, glowing a brilliant white that was almost completely void of yellow, Gawain simply stood there, holding the end of the connection as he kept the star-shattering beam steady, his field of vision in front of him completely taken up by the massive pillar of energy, but he wasn’t blinded by it. Refusing to relent, he continued to pour his energy into his Noble Phantasm, sending waves of fire like ripples on the surface of a lake from his position, rings of ever expanding flames when viewed from directly above. If anyone was there to observe the fight, they could have easily mistaken the false sun for being the real thing, and the emitted beam as a laser from the De*th St*r.</p><p>On her back, for the first time ever, the jacket slid off from her back. </p><p>Not even during her battle with Sigurd had it left her, not when she was engaged in a furious battle of control with her entangled scarf, not when she was furiously pushing him back in a clash of swords, not even when she was almost teleporting at speeds that surpassed the fastest of Servants. But now, it was lost in the roaring wind that blew backwards to the origin of the power that fell on MHX. </p><p>With her bare back exposed to the heat and wind, she felt more naked than ever. Though the jacket was almost part of her body, with her life at stake, she couldn’t afford to worry about it any more. </p><p>The piece of fabric fluttered into the air as it followed the surging winds, going forward until it reached the surface of Gawain’s Noble Phantasm, disappearing under the layer of pure heat. Soon, MHX would join it’s fate as well. </p><p>Panting, she started slowing down, her rapid steps turning into a blur, then back into visibly observable legs as she lost steam, her strength running out slowly. Having exerted everything she had in her body, there was nothing left to give. She had dashed an incredible length from start to finish, putting a distance of more than a full marathon between her and Gawain, and doing so in record time that would put any Servant’s speed to shame. It wasn’t enough to outrun Gawain, but nobody could say she hadn’t given it her all. She wasn’t built for endurance and stamina either, so maintaining that speed for so long was something she had never attempted before, and to be able to do so was a mark of her tenacity. </p><p>There were limits though, even for Servant, and she had already hit them long ago. Surpassing them could only do so much, and right now she felt more like a zombie than a Servant. Her brain was nigh-dead, her body carried forward only by her remaining momentum left over from her desperate charge. Only moving through instinct, her body went full autopilot as it carried on while her eyes glazed over listlessly, the light leaving her eyes before the pillar crashed onto her. </p><p>Her mind was on the verge of blanking out, only a shred of consciousness remaining in the encroaching darkness of rest. She never would have imagined that she would die from pure exhaustion before getting her body incinerated, with an hour at most after what she assumed to be her death at the hands of Sigurd. What remained of her thoughts became scrambled, going off in different directions as they shot off wildly into her memories, sequences of her life flashing forth in her mind's eye. </p><p>“...get her out of the pod, quick!”</p><p>“You there, standing in the sailor uniform in a weird way!”</p><p>“...a part-time job with the principal’s full permission. I’ll get a week’s worth of lunch from this!”</p><p>“Clean up the room or I’ll slice your Cosmo Noodle’s into bits.”</p><p>“Think you can win against me Ecchan? Think again!”</p><p>“Grawr, damned alternating current! I’ll blast their warships with my DC cannons and…”</p><p>“Say, have you tried this curry before? It’s pretty good…”</p><p>“...‘space cheer girl’? Never heard of that before…”</p><p>“Arondight! Full Circuit Overload, commence!”</p><p>“Y’know, an outlaw like me shouldn’t be fighting next to a bounty hunter like you…”</p><p>“If you try to eat them raw one more time, I’ll turn you into space sashimi, understand-dechi?”</p><p>“OH FUUUUuuuu━━━━━”</p><p>“There goes Lancer again.”</p><p>“Among all the Sabers I’ve met, you’re the only one who uses his fists and calls them swords.”</p><p>“...how dare ya insult my waifu! Be prepared to be boarded by Blackbeard Binks ya scallywag!”</p><p>“...and now it’s time for the final song, ‘Kirameki Starrider’! It’s your shining idol, VB Eli-chan, here to shine like a comet and brighten your day!!!”</p><p>“FREEDOM FROM THE OPPRESSORSSSSS!!!!!!!!!”</p><p>She’d been to many places and seen a lot of things in her life, and even if there were many things she regretted, it was definitely a fun and memorable time she’d had from start to finish. If she died now, she supposed she could say she had lived a full, satisfying life. She hadn’t been able to process her death at Sigurd’s hands with it’s suddenness, but now with the time she spent running, all these images, people and words popped up into her head, reminding her of what she had experienced.</p><p>Slowly, her legs started slowing down of her own volition, the frantic speed she had tried her best to keep up even with her battered and tired body fading away as she accepted her fate. Above her, she could feel the heat inching closer and closer, the distance between them closing as it stretched far above her into the distant, a limitless sky of energy that already extended out of her vision in front of her, as well as being wide enough to flatten her no matter which direction she tried to run. Not that she could run that far though, in the state she was in. </p><p>Still, it would’ve been nice if she could have fulfilled that promise that she had kept close in her memory at all times. </p><p>“Let’s eat manjuu later, alright?”</p><p>It seemed simple on the surface, but the fact was that she wasn’t able to find the person who said those words even after so long. And just when she had obtained a solid lead after a particularly difficult mission, she had gotten chased down, crashed onto a desert planet, and then killed after getting into a fight with an enemy that she thought she had defeated. Was this how it would end, before she even got a chance to see Ecchan one more time?</p><p>“...if you can’t defeat your enemy with the sword that you have, then imagine a sword that can.”</p><p>For some reason, the advice of a red drifter slid through her mind, a strangely nostalgic and familiar voice that she couldn’t properly identify. All she could remember was a shock of white hair peeking out of the hood, and a red sash wrapped around the face to obscure it as she crossed swords with the man, his twin swords interposed against her Secret-calibur. </p><p>“Your true strength isn’t your body, your abilities or the concept you embody. Instead, it is the irrationality that allows you to reach past what is the boundaries of possibility, grasping the impossible with both hands and bringing it into reality.”</p><p>She didn’t understand what those words back then, and even until now she didn’t know what he was trying to say, but now, all she could do was act on those words as a final determination entered her, the memory of those days with Ecchan spurring her on for one last attempt. She stopped in her tracks, conserving the dregs of energy she had left in her body for what she was about to do.</p><p>Mustering all her faith, all her concentration, all her imagination, she gambled it all on the words of a stranger, placing her hopes on a lone throw into the dark. </p><p>Closing her eyes, she reached out her right hand, the arm stretching into empty air and carrying her will to touch upon the realm of the gods, and onwards to somewhere even beyond that, infringing on the border between dreams and reality.</p><p>When she opened her eyes, there was a cup of Cosmo Noodles resting in the palm of her hand. </p><p>“...”</p><p>Well, she might as well have one more cup of Cosmo Noodles before she died for good. </p><p>Shrugging, she opened the cap and dipped her chopsticks into the soup, pulling out strands of white noodles dripping with brown liquid and sucking them into her mouth. </p><p>Before she even started chewing down on the noodles, her mind blanked out. </p><p>The taste itself was like nothing she had ever eaten before, a texture of mystery that surpassed anything in her repertoire of culinary experience, a heavenly smorgasbord of pleasure firing off into the deepest recesses of her soul from one drop of the soup falling onto her tongue. To describe it as a divine revelation failed to fully describe the complex emotions welling up from her heart as tears fell from her eyes, hands frozen in mid-air as the noodles stayed resting in her mouth. It was rumored that ambrosia created by the gods was the best seasoning for Cosmo Noodles, but she was damn sure this was beyond even that. A sense of indescribable peace and balance flooded into her entire being, both euphoria and melancholy coexisting, expanding uncontrollably, and then all that was left was a space inside her that was both empty and full at once The universe was flowing into her, her body becoming one with the F*rce. For a brief moment, she ascended and peered into the deepest depths of the Swirl that lay outside. </p><p>Gawain (False) continued pouring his energy into the limitless blast of solar rays, an inexhaustible wellspring of mana flowing into him, sustaining what would otherwise have been a much shorter attack if it was the real Gawain doing it. At this point, he probably would have managed to shoot a hole straight through a moon with the amount of energy Galatine was releasing, and it was overkill against MHX who couldn’t fight back. Nevertheless, he continued to channel his Noble Phantasm for another minute, just to be safe. </p><p>Or he would have done so, if he was given the chance. </p><p>A splitting blade of light suddenly appeared in the middle of the titanic swath of solar energy, bisecting the heat flare as it rose far into the sky until it at least reached the same height as Gawain’s sun, if not even higher. Flickering valiantly against the flood of white flames from Gawain, blue auras wavered around the golden core that gradated towards white at the center, one stretching upwards, another stretching downwards, like a candle with two lit ends, the flames meeting at the middle. Though it was only an inscrutable speck from Gawain’s position, he instinctively knew who it was. </p><p>Pouring in more effort his the Noble Phantasm, he cranked its output to the max, turning it from a flood into an all-encompassing sea that blotted out the sky in its entirety, blotting out the white canvas of a sky and turning it into a roiling sea of flames and plasma encased beneath the shifting heat. The ground below would have turned into magma and volcanoes if he had done this on Earth, wrecking the land and turning it into a fiery wasteland. As it was, in this unique bubble of space all that happened was that the greyish ground turned a bit brighter underneath the boiling oceans above. </p><p>At this point, any other Servant would have been defeated except for the cream of the crop, and even they would have struggled against an entire sea of blazing flames coming at them with abandon, but MHX was beyond that now. </p><p>Floating in the air at the center of the massive lances of energy pointing towards the sky and the earth, she crushed the cup of Cosmo Noodles in her right hand, letting it fade away into golden dust as it had already served its purpose. In her left hand, she held the core of the almighty spire of energy that served to split the sea of flame and protect her, projecting the weapon that Gawain could see from afar. </p><p>A blade that didn’t just cut heaven and earth, but reached towards the end and beginning of all things, the spikes of light reaching outwards from the black sphere at the center of the galaxy as the arms of the disk all spiralled towards the center. Light of the galaxy’s end, cosmos in etherbelts. </p><p>“X-Emperor X(s)lash”</p><p>Raising it over her head, she flew forward, splitting the Noble Phantasm of Gawain right down to it’s core as the molten sky parted in her wake. </p><p>Letting a cry of triumph, she swung downwards.</p><p>The sun was engulfed in a piercing light that collapsed everything into a singular speck, swallowing even the imposing star that had hung above Gawain’s head. Then everything exploded into a blinding disc of light, recreating the birth of the universe as everything expanded outwards from the center, a curious X shaped pattern of bent light forming around the singularity.</p><p>MHX wasn’t sure what exactly happened, but the next instant she found herself on the ground after completing the swing, with no sign of Gawain or anything else around her. </p><p>The sky was now completely free of flames, plasma or anything at all, returning to the blank whiteness that stretched in all directions. Looking down, she realized that the ground itself was no longer grey, turning into a pure white that was just the same as the sky, morphing the entire space around her into an endless expanse of blankness that seemed at once open and oppressive. </p><p>Yet she wasn’t too bothered by it, instead the events that had just happened a moment ago replaying through her mind. </p><p>She couldn’t really make sense of it, but it seemed like her eyes had been opened after eating the first bite from the Cosmo Noodles that had suddenly manifested when she had desperately wished for the power to win against the seemingly invincible Gawain. Awakening her to a new power, she had received a gift that few ever had the chance to encounter, and those that did were often destroyed by it, becoming one of the handful that had reached into the existence outside the domain and came back with mind and body intact. </p><p>Then the world of white started fading from her sight, turning to darkness and black nothingness swept across the equally blank white space, her vision engulfed into pitch darkness in seconds.</p><p>“Wha-”</p>
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<a name="section0170"><h2>170. Chapter 164</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 164</p><p>Heat up the steel.</p><p>Hammer the steel.</p><p>Fold the steel.</p><p>Heat up the steel.</p><p>Hammer the steel.</p><p>Fold the steel.</p><p>It was a process he was long used to, something he could do in his sleep, with one hand tied to his back, though the steel that came out would probably be completely ruined. There was no denying that he was intimately familiar with it, and any observers looking from the outside would immediately recognize him as being experienced, his movements swift and unhesitating, each blow of the hammer flattening the steel and forcing out the impurities, turning the steel into something worthy of being used. </p><p>Trimming the excess, doing away with defects, to obtain material that could be shaped into the sharpest of swords that cut things beyond the flesh. </p><p>Over and over, the process was repeated, without pause. The ringing of the hammer was ever-present in the forge, metal always thrust in the fire, the bellows pumped to feed the flames. Gazing at the steel, he was constantly analyzing it, judging when it was ready, how far it could be used, how many times he needed to hammer it, where the best spots to do so were, the strength he needed and many other things. How many people would the sword cut? If he polished it in this way, would it turn out better or worse? Applying the clay for quenching in this style or that style? How many foldings did it need?</p><p>All these, and more occupied his mind, until his brain was overflowing, every bit of his body and mind devoted to the work in front of him. It became a natural part of him, the art of making a sword as natural to him as breathing, with his entire being focused on it daily. </p><p>In the past, he used to have disciples to help him in the forge, but he had also had times where he had to work alone throughout the entire process, possessing the ability and will to do so. </p><p>In the end, his products came to be known throughout the country, and then the world. His name became immortalized through the many kabuki dramas, shows, movies and franchises borrowing his name, his swords often becoming legendary weapons of calamity that cursed their wielders, a blade of rebellion poised against the shogunate, a bloodthirsty creation that hungered for slaughter. </p><p>In reality, the man himself had no desire for such things. There was only one goal for all his blades, and in pursuit of that final line he had to cross, many blades were forged, and broken or cast aside, with few ever making it to the quenching stage, and fewer still actually sharpened into a usable edge. </p><p>Yet in the end, he had failed to achieve his dream in his lifetime, and in death he continued to seek the end of his dream, uncaring of when or how, simply toiling at the forge until he could make it with his own hands, see it with his own eyes. The cutting of karma, fate and destiny. If one wanted to do so, cause and effect could be severed, the threads of the universe itself vulnerable to the keen edge that would reach beyond the gods. The god of forging Hephaestus himself had looked upon his works, and deemed him as ‘having stepped into the realm of the gods’. For a divinity to recognize him, bespoke of his ability and sheer skill. </p><p>But in the end, he was nothing more than a simple blacksmith, and was more than content to practice his craft until he died, nothing more, nothing less. </p><p>He was also a half-way decent cook as well. </p><p>“Here ya go. Don’t eat too fast kid, you seem like the type who’d do so. Savour the taste and embrace the flavour.”</p><p>Assassin gulped, remembering the times in Cosmo Chaldea Academy when she’d slurp the Space Cup Ramen too fast and ended up choking, with Ecchan slapping her back so hard that the ramen would come shooting out of her mouth into the wall as a wet mess of mashed ramen, ingredients and soup. Good times. </p><p>Picking up the chopsticks, she took her first bite of the ramen, her mouth sucking in the thin, but firm strands of noodle into her mouth, the white soup broth dripping down it’s length. </p><p>*Slllrip*</p><p>Chewing on the ramen, she was surprised to find that it was just the right texture she wanted it to be. Chewy and firm, giving her mouth a good sense of its solid presence, with the soup complementing it well as the pork bones and collagen had bled into the water, giving it considerable flavour. The savoury scent wafting off the bowl was no lie, and he was generous with the other ingredients as well. It was a bit oily though. </p><p>“Mph, slrp, nomnom”</p><p>Assassin dug into the bowl enthusiastically, eating up the entire bowl with gusto, though she did pace herself as the man had suggested. Still, eating fast was in her nature, and she couldn’t help but devour the food at a much higher rate than other people. Within 15 minutes, the entire bowl had disappeared down her throat and into her stomach, with only a few specks of the broth left staining the bowl. She had also gone through the various pots and shakers of condiments, every bite carrying a different flavour with the mix and matches of the condiments. Some were spicy, some were salty, some were refreshing and also a mix of all of them, though her favourite was the garlic with pepper. </p><p>Looking at her eat so happily, Gray couldn’t help but feel her appetite rise as well, her eyes slightly envious as she watched her Servant own the food. </p><p>When she finished, Assassin’s mouth opened wide, and she let out a large burp.</p><p>“Aaaahhh, it’s nice to have my belly full for once. What do I owe you old man?”</p><p>He looked young, but his mannerisms and gruff speech was definitely that of an elder getting on in his years. He didn’t mind being called an old man, since that was exactly what he was.</p><p>“Let me see your sword.”</p><p>Both Assassin and Gray stared at him.</p><p>“My sword? I’m not giving it away though.”</p><p>“I mean what I said, I’m just going to look at it.”</p><p>The blacksmith/cook folded his arms and stared at Assassin, his impassive stare silently pressuring her, though it wasn’t really his intention and just the serious air he exuded.</p><p>“Say, why don’t I demonstrate how the sword does, wouldn’t you learn a lot more from that.”</p><p>He raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“Got no problem with that, as long as yer willing.”</p><p>Assassin started turning her body towards her right, where the couple were sitting, her right hand reaching up to the hilt of the sword sheathed on her back.</p>
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<a name="section0171"><h2>171. Chapter 137</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 137</p><p>Avenger toppled over just as Kirei reached her, in an effort to dodge whatever he was going to throw at her, but instead the red-hilted blades flew past her and stabbed into the long shadow stretching behind her. One pinned her head, two pinned her hands, and an extra two was added to the center and waist for good measure. With the Black Keys in place, she wouldn’t be able to move effectively in conjunction with the armor inhibiting her.</p><p>Then Kirei’s hands filled with the Keys, four in each hand gripped between the knuckles, and he hurled them at a phenomenal rate. From all sides, a rain of steel converged on Avenger. The semi spiritual metal sacrificed physical attack power in exchange for being able to harm spirits and other monsters regularly hunted in an Executor’s line of work. As such, against Servants, they also worked to some degree. </p><p>Try as she might, she wasn’t able to avoid them, not with the Keys pinning her shadow and Angra working through the armor to immobilize her. Kirei’s hand blurred, the insides of his frock emptied as he drew out Key after Key, sending them flying at speeds exceeding a bullet with the special martial technique of the Burial Agency. Steel swords flew straight, spun, curved or rebounded off the sewer walls and ceiling to attack from many different angles, some of them coming all at once, some of them coming one by one quickly following each other. Kirei had set up the pattern to make it difficult to dodge and anticipate, sealing off all paths of escape, and against a frozen target, it was more than enough. </p><p>With a superhuman effort of will, Avenger did manage to evade a few, twisting or shifting slightly just in the right directions to avoid being hit even while being restrained, but most found their mark. In seconds, the Servant became a human pincushion. </p><p>But the pain of almost a hundred Keys piercing her body failed to break her concentration.</p><p>Drawing in all the mana and energy she could find within her beaten body, she released every scrap of it in a ear-blistering howl that simultaneously blasted lightning and spiritual pressure off her body, halting Kirei in his tracks as he tried to get close, the armor cracking further and flaking off as more and more parts of her body inside was exposed. </p><p>Kirei idly noted that his eardrums seemed to have burst, but for now he knew that if he didn’t make it, Avenger would break loose from Angra’s armor, and then she would be free to do whatever she liked. Which would most likely delay the child’s birth into the world through the Grail. After all, they needed Avenger as a puppet to ensure that revenge was meted out, and all obstacles were removed, before she was used as fuel too.</p><p>Steeling his body with reinforcement, he charged at her.</p><p>“Rest, in the name of God.”</p><p>At the same time, his fists sank to waist level and his whole body dipped lower, settling into a horse stance typical of bajiquan, knees bent while the legs were spread wide apart as the user faced the enemy sideways.</p><p>Dust fell off the walls of the sewer as Kirei stamped the ground and launched Avenger backwards, his elbow sending her off like a missile until she slammed into the wall more than fifty meters away, cracking the concrete as well. The Black Keys pinning her shadow were shattered, the blades tinkling to the ground in small fragments. The Black Keys stabbed into Avenger’s back were pushed even further into her body, the silver edges poking out the other side with how long they were. </p><p>Avenger slumped over, her head lolling to one side, giving no indication of being conscious at all. Without taking a pause, Kirei strode slowly but purposefully towards her, throwing a couple of Black Keys onto her shadow just in case. </p><p>When he got close, he could see Avenger glaring at him, slowly reaching one hand out towards him, even with her muscles shaking from fatigue and pain. Her eyes burned red, refusing to shut and lose to the wave of unconsciousness that threatened to engulf her mind. </p><p>Kirei simply batted it aside and knelt next to her, his hand turning to a semi-translucent state as the color faded slightly from the sleeve and skin. Running the blade of a Black Key across his palm, he pressed it into Avenger’s chest, the hand passing through the armor and flesh like a ghost. As a spiritual doctor, he could at least do this much to ‘reset’ her state back to what it was before. </p><p>His blood that was primarily composed of the Grail mud flowed out of his palm, his hands touching that which could not be seen with physical eyes, interfering with constructs from the spiritual realm. Leaking into her Saint Graph, it distorted it once more, the already blackened container filled with the mud from Kirei’s own body. Once more, her body began to fall under his sway again. </p><p>Until Kirei found a Black Key stabbed into his sides, his free hand only reacting fast enough to push the blade lower when Avenger stabbed him. </p><p>Catching a blade while it was being thrown at her, hiding it in her hand and using her other hand to distract Kirei when he came close, she waited until his guard was lowered, then struck. </p><p>While it was no fatal wound, it was enough for Kirei to pause momentarily in his alteration of Avenger. She seized the chance to punch him with her other hand, even with her muscles weakened and her body unwilling to respond. The fist socked Kirei square in the jaw knocking him back and sending him tottering a few steps backwards before he quickly righted himself. </p><p>At that point, she was already moving away, dragging her body away from him despite the Black Keys cutting more and more into her body with each centimeter she traveled, the contraction and loosening of her muscles aggravating their positions. Even so, she just needed a little bit more time, just a bit more effort, to finally break through the armor keeping her captive. The armor had fused to her skin, the underside like liquid sinking into the pores of her skin as they linked to a system of mud running throughout her entire body. Whenever she was injured however, it was inevitable that mud would leak out of her body, and without being given the chance to replenish, the amount of mud in her would gradually lower until she was able to resist. At this point, all she needed to do was to purge the remaining corruption of her body, the few pieces of armor that stubbornly clung to her flesh, and she would be free.</p><p>“Grrkk-raaaahhhhh”</p><p>A guttural growl rose from her throat even as she clawed her path, crawling on her belly through the sewers like a lizard. </p><p>Lightning surged through her body, the outpouring of mana burning her body, but also breaking apart the mud and dancing across the black armor, sizzling as what seemed like metal armor turned to thick liquid, dripping down her body as black sludge. A pool of tar like substance formed around her body, spreading as more and more armor disappeared from her body.</p>
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<a name="section0172"><h2>172. Chapter 138</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 138</p><p>The lance came from nowhere, Avenger only having a split second to react as the heavily injured Lancer manifested next to her and thrust the lance downwards, her condition making it seem sluggish and weak, but it still packed plenty of punch and speed. The black tip pierced through the back of Avenger without resistance and continued until it struck concrete, boring a hole straight through her stomach. Even with a high rank of Endurance, Avenger’s body could only take so much. The pain blossomed in her midsection, her nerves on fire as she choked out a muffled scream. A skill that had lain dormant up til now kicked in, the vow she had taken for the people of Britain in her own history. </p><p>Kingslayers Oath.</p><p>When the Once and Future King of Britain focused on the danger until it blinded her to everything else, dooming her kingdom and its people, this Mordred took up arms and swore to never fall in battle until she beheaded the person that had once been a shining beacon, to her and to Britain.</p><p>Her body gained a second wind, the pain of all the injuries severe and light vanishing as she blocked it all out, a monstrous howl shaking out of her throat and filling the sewers as she ripped herself out of the lance, her guts, liver and blood dripping out of the massive hole in her sides as she swung one fist haphazardly, the back of her hand catching Lancer’s cheek as it dislocated her neck, the older Lancer sent cracking to face an odd angle, a frozen look of torment and shock on the Servant’s face. </p><p>Staggering, Avenger grabbed the lance, ignoring the crimson spike that speared into her palm, and she pulled it free of Lancer’s grasp, the Servant unable to maintain a firm grip on the weapon. Holding the large shaft, she clubbed Lancer with the wide cowl connecting to the grip of the weapon. Hard.</p><p>Lancer’s feet sunk into the ground, cracks forming in the concrete from the pure power of the blow as her eyes rolled into the back of her head, blood leaking from her head and nose as she fell, her body loose like a puppet with its strings cut. Unsatisfied, Avenger swung again, the great lance descending on Lancer’s neck with the grace of a guillotine. </p><p>The weapon and Servant both faded away to golden dust as they dematerialized, Avenger swinging down an empty fist on nothing before she realized they were both gone. </p><p>With blood running out of the many wounds from the Black Keys, half her torso gone, and the mud and armor still interfering with her body, she knew she only had one more chance to break free. She was close, but it needed one last push. With her injuries though, one chance was all she was going to get. </p><p>Pushing through the haze of pain that clouded her thoughts, she pulled mana and energy from the Grail and her heavily blocked connection with her ‘Master’, her imitation Core created by Morgana in her body drawing all the magical energy and condensing into one point, hunching over her back as she bent forwards, her entire body encased in red lightning that arced from head to toe, the air itself humming with ozone and dust as burning flesh filled the air, her wounds frying from the electricity as more and more energy overloaded her body. </p><p>There couldn’t be any holding back any more. Kirei brandished his Command Seals, heavily depleted after his stunt with Lancer, but still enough to fuel him for a few more fights. Running forward, he braced himself and entered the veritable storm surrounding the Servant, his skin flayed by outbursts of energy and mana as lightning kissed his frock and penetrated through the physical and spiritual defences it offered, searing the flesh to a charred black. His steps never faltered, his body unhesitatingly plugged forward as he thrust two Keys in each hand into Avenger’s palms, his feet braced against the floor as he held strong against the constant barrage of mana, spiritual pressure and lightning. </p><p>"I will kill. I will let live. I will harm and heal. None will escape me. None will escape my sight.<br/>Be crushed.<br/>I welcome those who have grown old and those who have lost.<br/>Devote yourself to me, learn from me, and obey me.<br/>Rest. Do not forget song, do not forget prayer, and do not forget me.<br/>I am light and relieve you of all your burdens.<br/>Do not pretend. Retribution for forgiveness, betrayal for trust, despair for hope, darkness for light, dark death for the living.<br/>Relief is in my hands. I will add oil to your sins and leave a mark.<br/>Eternal life is given through death.<br/>— Ask for forgiveness here. I, the incarnation, will swear.<br/>— Kyrie eleison".</p><p>With the fragment of Angra Mainyu closing off the connection between it and Avenger, and the Grail also powering the Servant to a lesser extent thanks to the fragments influence, Avenger became closer in nature to a wandering spirit rather than a proper Servant anchored to the world with a Master’s connection. In that sense, the rite was able to perform at maximum effectiveness. </p><p>Avenger howled as the energy dispersed, the stored mana exploding outwards in one great burst, sending Kirei flying backwards as he was blown off his feet by the massive explosion. The ceiling cracked, then caved in, rubble, dirt and concrete splashing into the sewer water and onto Avenger as she was buried in the mass of earth. </p><p>The scene of Avenger's furious face, golden specks flaking off it as she was entombed, was seared into Kirei’s eyes, then he hit a wall and blacked out.</p>
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<a name="section0173"><h2>173. Chapter 173</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 173</p><p>Concrete grinded against concrete, steel squeaking and stretching as the rebar bent out of shape. Slowly, the slabs started moving, puffs of dust and grit escaping the gaps in the pile as they shifted. Dull thumping sounds could be heard from within, the cement trembling rhythmically. Tremors shook the stained walls of the sewer, the sewage flowing through the center rippling on the surface. </p><p>With a few more thumps, the sound gradually grew clearer, and then the surface of the concrete pile exploded into dust, creating an opening from the inside to the outside. The sound of footsteps echoed in the sewer, the darkness obscuring the figure that walked through the dust and broken remains of the walls of the sewer that had trapped the man. For a moment, the figure in the darkness of the tunnel looked down at the splotches of dried blood on the ground, the scratches and gashes in the walls and floors surrounding it. Then he continued forward, walking past it as he looked left the caved in section of the sewer behind, making a mental note to send the repair crew over as soon as possible. </p><p>A manhole grated in a remote backstreet near the outskirts of Miyama town, the cast iron disk lifting out of its resting place and shifted to the side. From the shadows of the sewer, Kirei Kotomine emerged, looking a little worse for wear, but otherwise perfectly fine considering that he should have been crushed when the sewer collapsed on him during Avenger’s escape. The cassock was damaged in a few places, but that was it. As for his body, there were a few places he needed to treat when he returned to the chapel, but the damage wasn’t too extensive. He could make it back easily, and still fight if need be. </p><p>His breath fogged in the chilly night air as he pushed the manhole back into place with the tip of his leather boots. The metal cover slid back easily, dropping with a ‘clank’, and then he proceeded to make his way back to the chapel. </p><p>He had barely taken a few steps when he sensed the presence behind him, a familiar one that nevertheless made him raise his guard. </p><p>“Took you long enough to get out of there mongrel. Losing the wild dog was one thing, but only getting out after so long is unbecoming of you or your abilities.”</p><p>Standing there moments ago there had been no one, was the King of Kings, the former Archer of the previous Holy Grail War. His insufferable grin was there as always, and his red eyes glinted in the night, seemingly piercing through Kirei’s entire body and his soul. The priest was already used to the sensation since a long time ago though, and replied evenly. </p><p>“It was unexpected for Avenger to summon so much strength, and regrettable that we had to lose her, but there was nothing else that we could have done. A wild dog needs to be put down as soon as possible before it harms it’s owner or anyone else, my king.”</p><p>The events of the past few hours before he blacked out and got trapped in the sewer were still fresh in his memory, and though he had his share of harrowing experiences from his time as an active Executor of the Church, the fight with Avenger was still quite a memorable one when compared to his time fighting with Dead Apostles and other targets of similar repute and strength. If he had messed up at any moment, he or his Servant could easily have perished, but they had both managed to make it out in one piece, so it wasn’t too bad. After all, he wanted to stay alive for as long as possible to see the conclusion of the War, so while he didn’t fear death, it was still preferable for him to remain alive and whole. The fate of the Emiya boy, as well as Tohsaka Rin, were things that he wanted to witness himself as well. </p><p>“Are you insinuating that the bastard son could harm me, Kirei? I assure you, I could put her down before she even took one step.”</p><p>Gilgamesh’s eyes glowed dangerously, and Kirei swallowed his words. </p><p>“I did not mean that Avenger would harm you, I merely meant that it would be unfitting of you to deal with her yourself if she were to face you.”</p><p>The king’s lips curved into a sneer.</p><p>“If that was your intent, then you failed. The dog still lurks in the city.”</p><p>Kirei blinked, then he decided that there was no point in questioning him. Gilgamesh had his own way of acquiring information, and it was always accurate. </p><p>“Is that so? If it is not too presumptuous of me, may inquire of her exact location so I may deal with her in the king’s stead?”</p><p>He felt the needles pricking along his spine increase as Gilgamesh stepped towards him until they were less than a meter apart. </p><p>“You would do well to not overstep your boundaries and presume that you could represent me. While you may be an amusing method of passing time, you and the taint residing in the Grail that you hold so dear are merely subjects of my kingdom that I have deemed worthy of my personal interest, enough to allow your survival and prod you in the right direction at times. However, if your dog causes any problems for the game that is unfolding, you will see what it means to incur a king’s wrath.”</p><p>Though he was simply talking normally, Kirei had to steel his knees to keep them from buckling. </p><p>The king stared into Kirei’s eyes for a moment longer, then he added.</p><p>“And you who rests in the Grail, if you distort the rules any further, you will be honored by the presence of the king, to deliver your judgement.”</p><p>With his point made, Gilgamesh turned around and left Kirei standing there, the priest watching as his back receded into the distance, then turned right and disappeared around a corner.</p>
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<a name="section0174"><h2>174. Chapter 139</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 139</p>
<p>The sun had already set by the time they reached the safehouse, the windows dusty and unlit from the outside. It looked the place had been abandoned for quite a while, with wild grass growing around the estate and weeds springing up in great numbers. Vines wrapped some the walls, some sections completely obscure by the leafy growth, and the roof was in a state of disrepair as well, the open air veranda missing several parts of the safety fence that encircled it, most of the paint having flaked away to let the iron within rust.</p>
<p>Rin could tell that the architecture was distinctly Western, just like her own house, but beyond that there wasn’t really anything to make it stand out besides its sorry state of disrepair. Still, it did fit the description they had given her of the first safehouse, and the directions had led her here. There was only one way to find out whether this was the right place, and whether they were here or not. </p>
<p>Pressing her hand against the stone pillar that flanked the wrought iron gates, shut tight against the outside world, she concentrated and activated her Magic Circuits. Raising her other hand, she held up the smooth pebble in her fingers, engraved with a single rune, a symbol shaped like L, but positioned slightly sideways like it was spun clockwise by a small amount. She whispered under her breath, the codeword taught to her. Meanwhile, Archer watched her surroundings, his eyes piercing the night to spot any threats or spies watching them. </p>
<p>“Kena.”</p>
<p>The rune glowed for a split second, then returned to normal, the iron gate opening smoothly and soundlessly despite it’s aged appearance. There was no other indication that she had succeeded, but Rin could sense the invisible Bounded Fields lowering the moment she performed the correct procedure. Stepping through the open gate, she instructed Archer to stay outside, entrusting her back to him. </p>
<p>Just as she was about to reach the wooden door, she felt something activate, and her body was frozen in place, her hands stuck midswing as she was forced to stay in position. Only her eyes were barely able to move, instantly darting all over the place to see what was the trigger, and whether she could disarm it or not. She could hear Archer manifesting behind her and drawing his weapons, his boots scraping against the asphalt of the road as he cautiously approached her, staying vigilant against any unseen threats.</p>
<p>Their caution proved to be needless as the door swung open with a bang, the previously silent and dark house turning bright as she realized the windows were just illusions to make it look unoccupied, a simple glamour to mask the truth. The door was a rectangle of light, in contrast to the dim windows. </p>
<p>“Hey, Miss Tohsaka! Everyone’s been waiting for you, just come inside!”</p>
<p>Flat’s enthusiastic door opening almost made Archer throw his blades, but he managed to retract his weapons just in time after seeing the young magus’s face. The magus didn’t seem to notice his near miss with death, grinning at the Servant as well. </p>
<p>“Mr. Archer, good to see you too! Well, though we lost a lot of stuff earlier today, it’s still nice to see you guys alive and well.”</p>
<p>His smile faded when he remembered the injuries of his fellow magi and ex-classmates, but he abruptly realized Rin wasn’t moving and turned to her with a quizzical expression. </p>
<p>“Um, Miss Tohsaka? Don’t you want to come in?”</p>
<p>Then it finally struck him, as he stared at her awkward position and posture. </p>
<p>“Ah, the automatic defenses! Sorry about that, the Bounded Field was made to freeze anyone coming through the front door, regardless of being friend or foe. Just lemme undo for it you, wait a sec.”</p>
<p>He swiftly passed his hand through the air, his fingers making a sign in the air as he traced out the command. When his fingers made the last downward stroke, Rin’s arms finally fell to her sides, the muscles slightly stiff from keeping them in position against her will. She was slightly annoyed at herself for being caught in something like that, but she hid it under her mask of a face. </p>
<p>“Thank you, Mr. Es-Flat-kun, are the others here as well?”</p>
<p>Flat had refused to respond to her until she gave in and called him that, but it felt weird calling him Flat-kun and the other members of the Clock Tower team Mr and Miss.</p>
<p>“Yep, they all managed to make it here, one way or another. Some of them have severe injuries though, so they’ll be in the rooms resting. Only me and the Professor are still good. Oh, and we have guests here as well.”</p>
<p>Rin listened to him as she walked in, Archer following behind her. Hearing that most of them were incapacitated, including Gray, was worrying, but at least none of them had died. Her ears perked up at the words ‘guest’, in the last sentence, then her eyes caught sight of the numerous wrappers in the kitchen. </p>
<p>“Why are there…”</p>
<p>The words trailed off as she saw the guests Flat had mentioned. One was currently stuffing herself silly with black bean bread, a veritable mountain of sweet bread and treats from convenience stores next to her, while the other was watching ‘Chibi Maruko-chan’ on the old television set and nibbling on some strawberry daifuku.</p>
<p>“Illya, isn’t pure red bean filling in daifuku better? The chunky red beans and the chewy mochi outsides are leagues above the tartness and citric taste of a strawberry.”</p>
<p>“You have no right to tell me that when all you do is eat red bean, black bean or chestnut paste filling bread.”</p>
<p>“I never try the others because I know they’re inferior.”</p>
<p>Rin’s eyebrows twitched as she tried to contain her emotions, while Archer did his best to hide a grin at seeing Illya like that. </p>
<p>“Oh, those are the guests I was talking about earlier.”</p>
<p>At the sound of Flat’s voice, the two sitting at the dining table turned around to look at Rin and Archer. </p>
<p>Illya almost spat out the daifuku in her mouth as she turned to face them, instantly adopting a regal air and tightening her facial expressions as she did a proper curtsy, her smile like a fairy if it wasn’t for the white starch staining her lips. </p>
<p>“Illyasviel von Einzbern, Master of Berserker, nice to meet you, onee-chan.”</p>
<p>Berserker did no such thing, simply nodding at them and then returning her attention to the bread and the TV.</p>
<p>“I’m Tohsaka Rin, successor of the Tohsaka line and Master of Archer. Nice to meet you, Miss Illya.”</p>
<p>Rin’s comment made Illya puff her cheeks up and glare at the Tohsaka heir.</p>
<p>“Call me Illya-chan!”</p>
<p>Rin wondered what was up with these foreign mages, first it was Flat-kun, now it was Illya calling her oneechan and wanting to be called with the chan suffix. Did they fall in love with Japanese culture or something? She could tell that the young Einzberns Japanese was quite fluent though, unlike Flat and the other mages of the Clock Tower who either used translations spells, or had a very basic grasp of working Japanese like El-Melloi and Flat. </p>
<p>Well, there was no point in angering her, and it wasn’t like it was an absurd request anyways. </p>
<p>“Sure, I-illya-chan.”</p>
<p>At that point, her stomach growled, rather loudly in fact. </p>
<p>She hadn’t been able to eat for quite a while, walking and talking with Lancer, setting up the detection field in Shinto, and then searching for the safehouse had taken a lot of time, with Lancer stopping her attempt at snagging a burger ruining her only chance of sustenance earlier. </p>
<p>Her face turned a slight tint of red. </p>
<p>Berserker grabbed a bread off the table and held it out to her. </p>
<p>“Want a bite?”</p>
<p>Slowly, Rin reached out her hand and took the offered food, looking at it suspiciously before sitting down at the table and slowly opening the plastic wrapper to have her first meal in a while.</p>
<p>Archer couldn’t help but smirk, then he looked at the kitchen, and wandered over to it to see if he couldn’t surprise them with something.</p>
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<a name="section0175"><h2>175. Chapter 170</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 170</p><p>Without warning, the darkness surrounding her turned into a starlit night-sky that was a pleasant change from the dull white she was looking at earlier. Staying stock still, her ears twitched as she strained to hear any sounds or auditory indications of people near her, her nose taking in the scent of the air, but there didn’t seem to be anything nearby. All she could hear was the wind brushing across the sand, and the dry desert air filling her nose. The stars seemed to wink down at her as she felt herself all over, confirming the integrity of her body and pinching herself on the thigh to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. </p><p>She took the prick of pain from her fingers squeezing her skin as a sign that she was lucid and proceeded to sit up and look around. The sand she could feel underneath her was already enough, but she just needed a little more confirmation. </p><p>In the distance, she could spot the low building that served as the entrance to the ramen shop, and a man walking over to her. He stopped as soon as he caught sight of her, and with her artificial vision enhancements, she could see his eyes widen as he laid eyes upon her form, standing up from a fatal wound like it was nothing. </p><p>Far above her in the sky, the couple were fussing over each other while descending when they felt a presence on the ground spark into existence, immediately catching their attention as they used runes to observe the area. In a flash, they pinpointed the source of the sudden flare of energy. </p><p>“She’s alive?”</p><p>Brynhildr’s murmur of disbelief reached Sigurd’s ears, and he couldn’t help but mirror her surprise. He had killed her with his own hands, strangling her to the point of death and then crushing her Spirit Graph with his own hands. Surely, that was enough to end even the toughest of Servants, as once the Spirit Graph was destroyed, there was no coming back even with Guts. At best, a Servant could linger for a few minutes with sheer willpower and skills to maintain their container’s cohesion, but that was it.</p><p>In fact, MHX Spirit’s Graph had been destroyed, but instead of disappearing from the world, it was instead rerouted to a realm between the border of life and death, a place that all Artorias were destined to at least encounter once in their existence.A certain Space Onii-san could also have something to do with it…</p><p>Whatever the case, it was undeniable that she was alive and kicking, her body whole once more even though there was a gaping hole on the suit right over her heart, exposing the pale skin and smooth (and slight) curve of her breast. In her hands, the two swords that had given Sigurd much grief earlier were humming quietly, the vibrations reassuring her of their presence as she gripped the handles tightly, gazing up into the sky at her opponent who had managed to successfully kill her. </p><p>A blue blip in the sky appeared, looking just like the stars in the sky until it started growing larger and larger, dwarfing the sparkles of light in the sky as it grew in size until it was as big as the moons in the sky, though it was significantly brighter than the other celestial bodies. As it grew closer, rippling lines tracing from the center could be seen, with trails of what looked like azure flames lining the sides as it fell downwards. It was accompanied by a howling whistle that filled the desert wasteland for miles around, a poignant warning to all those in it’s way as it descended to the earth. </p><p>“Suu-”</p><p>Taking in a deep breath, MHX crossed her arms, her forearms a mere inch above each other as each sword went to the opposite side, the blades parallel to her hip while the hilt hovered just above her waist, the entire sword almost at a perfect right angle with her thighs as she bent her knees in preparation. </p><p>“-haa”</p><p>Her draw was in sync with her exhale. In one smooth motion, the tip of the blades drew an arc in the air, travelling until it made a full circle from one side to the other, her arms fully outstretched behind her. Her bent legs straightened at the same time, sending her rocketing towards the falling comet at reckless speeds.</p><p>Travelling ahead of her and far outstripping her in velocity was an X of pure energy that was not dissimilar from the ones she had used earlier in the fight against Sigurd when dashing from place to place while releasing her blade beams, except this one was much, much larger in size. On the ground, it could be mistaken for a crescent moon from the side, and it rushed up to meet the blue comet-sized fireball spat down by Sigurd.</p><p>Next to the man with his gaze riveted on the revived MHX, Gray stared at her figure rising into the air with undisguised surprise, her eyes blinking as she watched her Servant rise into the air with ease, cutting the comet into four equal sections in a flash. She thought she was witnessing the death of her Servant, but to see her rise from the dead like that was beyond her expectations. Instead of wondering why she wasn’t waking up after MHX’s death, she now stood up and raised her head to gaze up at the skies, the clash of legends once more reenacted in front of her eyes.</p><p>Right behind the comet she had cut, several more massive orbs were hurtling down towards her, each one closely followed by the last as they blanketed her field of vision, hiding Sigurd and Brynhildr who were much further above her. Corkscrewing through the gap of the first comet, MHX pointed both swords forward and started spinning furiously, her entire body turning into a drill. Energy released from the blades, following her spinning motion into a trail of energy that spiraled outwards in a cone, with a near solid tip of her twin swords spearheading the way forward. The black and white turned into alternating streams of energy, a massive cone forming around her and protecting her against the incoming comets. It strobed with red edges outlining the blacksides, and blue right next to the red, the two swirling together in complete juxtaposition against each other.</p><p>The remnants of the first comet were about to approach the ground, but they disappeared beneath the swing of the man who just a moment ago had been standing right next to Gray. She only noticed that he was gone when the remains of the meteor disappeared in her peripheral vision, and seeing the distinct bare back of the man where the meteor would have landed, she looked next to her and found him gone. </p><p>“These youngsters, cutting loose right next to my workshop like that. Guess I’ll have to clean up the loose ends.”</p><p>As he said so, the sword in his hand disintegrated, metallic dust scattering the four winds. </p><p>Cracking his wrists, another hiltless blade filled the empty space in his right hand, a gentle curve to its spine, with shallow valleys of waves sandwiched between tight clusters of the hamon, a fish-belly like tang fitting snugly in his practiced grip. </p><p>“Still, what a pain in the arse.”</p><p>This time, he hurled the sword point up, the blade travelling perfectly vertically as the kissaki intercepted the other flaming pieces of energy that were bound on a course to the wastes surrounding his workshop. </p><p>Gray found herself spellbound as he eliminated the fallout one by one, acting perfectly like a craftsmen intimately familiar with his work as he acted efficiently, not just in his handling of his weapons, but in the process of destroying the comets as well, sometimes not even outright destroying them but sending them off course so a whole bunch of them could collide together with him only having made a single slash. Still, none of his strikes actively sought to prevent the comets coming down, the blades only seeking targets below MHX’s feet.</p><p>In the night sky of the desert planet, MHX flew. </p><p>Having drilled through the first few meteors sent down by Sigurd, she continued to advance upwards through the air, the steadily dropping temperatures and dwindling lack of oxygen doing nothing to dissuade her as she kept on her course, blasting through the air on a pair of sword jetpacks.</p><p>With one keeping a hand on her original Secret-calibur in a reverse grip, a steady stream of ether spewed from the blades in a leaf shape, resembling the exhaust from a jet engine. It was certainly just as powerful as well, if not more, as MHX maintained her grip on it with a magnetic lock near her hip on the hilt assisting her, a thin film of energy spreading across her body to help deal with the volumes of air she was slamming through, though it would immediately shatter in the face of the comets dropping down at her, which were increasing in frequency at a frightening rate. </p><p>Sigurd conjured a dense, compact ball of energy in front of his sharpened teeth as his mouth grew more dragon like, scales popping up on his face and neck, tilting his head backwards as he raised his hand beneath the orbs forming a handspan away from his mouth, a glow originating somewhere deep within his throat lighting up the insides of his mouth as the energy mass grew in size. It rapidly grew from a dot into a baseball, then it stopped at roughly the size of a bowling ball. At that point, he lifted it away from his mouth to hurl it downwards at MHX, and with him no longer collapsing the ball of energy, it instantly expanded upon leaving his hands, turning into a great orb capable of flattening houses and smashing a tower into pieces. As MHX grew closer, he started acting faster and faster, the orbs forming at an increased rate, with three projected at once from his jaws and hands when he got the hang of it. </p><p>Leaning her body to the left, her Saberkiller Style: Jetfire Skyblade shifted with her, the plume of ether bending to the right as she performed a tight swerve around a comet, then the black counterpart of Secret-calibur came into play as she held it sideways in front of her, a sudden burst of black particles that send her hurtling to the right as she grazed past a comet that was right in the path of her turn. Abruptly, she cut the speed to her jet/sword, rolling her entire body to the left until she felt like she was about to vomit, allowing her to just slide past a shower of smaller comets that had split apart before she had the chance to notice. The barrel roll brought her into the path of another one, and this time she angled her sword upwards and dived, her black sword providing a boost as she attached it to the other side of her hip. Anticipating this, five other smaller comets found their way towards her and trapped her against the larger bulk of the meteor she had just dodged, the heat on her back threatening her as they pinned her against it. Flying as close to the comet as she dared, she waited a second or two until they were right on top of her, then skewed towards the large comet that she was skimming against, almost kissing it’s surface as she felt the shields covering her fail against the heat being released by the object she was next to. The next instant, her swords roared as they spat out an even larger blaze of ether, her ass getting the hell out of there as she slipped between the gap of the first comet arriving and impacting on the larger meteor letting the rest hit the meteor and avoiding getting turned to crisp by the large meteor. </p><p>She didn’t have time for a reprieve as she felt heat on her back, and a massive blue fireball filling her face. Pulling her sword back like she was about to perform a draw slash, she placed the black sword right next to the white and simultaneously triggered the jets of ether. The result was an almost quadrupled output as they resonated with each other, a literal storm of ether spilling straight out, but in exchange it sent her corkscrewing in an uncontrollable ascent towards the sky. A bloated cloud of gaseous ether floated behind her as she zig-zagged and bent around the incoming projectiles as best she could, often coming millimeters away from getting her face fried. She could practically smell the distinctive smell of ozone and plasma wafting off the orbs zipping past her, and her ears were constantly bombarded by shrieks of wind as they flew past her, her body buffeted by gusts of superheated air as the rapid heating from the projectiles caused air to whip around them like cyclones, further adding to the difficulty of flying between them. </p><p>Sigurd eyed the figure flitting back and forth through the rain of ether that he was hurling at it, then decided to change tactics. If these big ones weren’t doing the trick, perhaps it was time to flood her with quantity instead of quality. </p><p>He kept the orbs that were forming on both palms and in front of his mouth, his eyes glowing a furious cerulean that burned like green flames, and when he released that energy blasts that he was building up, they split into tens, hundreds of smaller sphere instead of the massive comets they were before, all of them homing in on the distant figure that was still rising up and trying to reach him through the hellstorm. Each one released from different vectors, covering all directions around her as they swarmed the minuscule dot swerving and ducking, covering her as a deadly swarm of spheres that would explode on contact. </p><p>It didn’t take her long to spot the incoming onslaught, and this time she opted for power over speed. Though Sigurd had made sure that there were little to no gaps in the formation of the falling spheres, expanding a certain amount of focus and concentration to direct the spheres and control their trajectory, the fact that the spheres were no longer one massive comet and instead split into many parts meant that each individual sphere could now be easily destroyed by MHX’s sword. </p><p>Shifting the black sword off the magnetic lock on her waist and allowing it to hang freely next to her, she scanned across the clouds of spheres moments before they engulfed her. Her eyes danced across each cluster, noting the denser and looser parts, then jumped further behind them and checked for anything else she had to look out for. Her mind spun at a frantic pace, digesting all the information and spitting out conclusions one after another, mapping out a route through the clouds of hazardous mines. </p><p>Abruptly, she felt the small of her back chill, a shock running up her spine, and she turned around a hundred and eighty degrees to face whatever was coming up behind her. </p><p>If she hadn’t turned around in time, she would have been stabbed in the back by a construct that vaguely resembled a dragon, with identifiable wings, claws and a reptilian jaw, though it was hardly bigger than a bear. Still, it was enough of a threat as it’s jaws latched onto her sword and refused to let go, biting onto it as she drifted closer to and closer to the scattering of spheres that promised to turn her into ashes if she didn’t try to cut her way through them. </p><p>Then her eyes widened as the dragon started glowing, it’s brilliance reaching a fever pitch as she felt her skin tingling from the increase of mana radiating off the dragon's constructed body. Obeying her instincts, she jerked away as she fell towards the ground, reversing Secret-calibur on her left hip as she pointed it towards the dragon while letting go of the sword trapped in it’s mouth, her sword propelling downwards and away from the dragon as it became and outline of white against the black night sky and the orbs that could be mistaken for a meteor shower from the ground.</p><p>*dON*</p><p>An expanding white sphere appeared where the dragon was a moment ago, a flash of heat and light hitting MHX in the face, and then it was gone, the energy rapidly shrinking and receding until only her sword was left, gravity taking over and sending the weapon flipping head over heels down until it reach its original owner below it. Grabbing her black sword from the air, she reversed her sword and shot upwards again, accelerating away from the other dragons that she had just noticed closing on her from behind as she streaked towards the spheres that now covered the skies like rain, except that they could kill her if they just so much as grazed her skin, and each sphere was the size of a bowling ball instead of a raindrop. </p><p>Sigurd didn’t react to the failure of his dragon, but instead started producing more behind the extraordinarily large clouds of spheres that continuously multiplied from his hands, completely hiding him from MHX, though he could still sense MHX with the upgrades that his draconic form had given to his five sense, and well as a strong sixth sense he always had that had only gotten stronger after he embraced his draconic heritage. In addition, the mana he had access to now far exceeded before, allowing him to perform these feats as his lungs had turned into miniature worlds that produced mana like never before, each breath releasing enough mana to enchant a rank A Mystic Code as his presence alone was slowly saturating the atmosphere around him with ether, changing the environment itself just by existing. As a result, the bombardment of projectiles and semi-autonomous dragons took as little effort, and he was able to continue all day and night if he wanted to. </p><p>MHX noted the fact that there were now miniature mana dragons chasing after her ass and quickly dove into the cloud of orbs, to both hide from the dragons on her tail and also cut a path through it quickly so she could stop worrying about it. She soon found it wasn’t as simple to cut through as she thought. </p><p>For one, the moment she got close to them, they instantly started homing on her presence, gathering around her body like iron filings to a magnet. She suspected Sigurd had probably done something with runes to make them capable of this, but she didn’t have the luxury to ponder further. While they weren’t exactly speedy, it was still a pain as they blocked anything in sight all around her, forcing her to cut through the continuously accumulating wall of spheres that if they exploded all at once if she did nothing about them, would easily take her out by enclosing her in a crowded space filled with volatile ether. As a result, the moment they started moving towards her, she sped up and burst through the front, weathering the small explosions as she rocketed straight through them, her skin stinging slightly even with how fast she cut past them. Behind her, a tail of explosive ether projectiles started forming, growing longer and larger the more she spent flying in the field of spheres. </p><p>To add to that, the dragons attacked at every conceivable opportunity, strafing her, performing suicide runs or throwing energy blasts of their own at her, harassing her and wearing her down. She had no way to hide with the multitude of orbs following her, and though she wanted to save her strength to face Sigurd and Brynhildr to strike them down in one blow, she realized she might have to act soon or she would just die here. Sweat beaded her brow as she considered her options, all the while weaving through what space was available for her to dodge through, cutting through the patches of empty space that quickly closed if she moved too slowly, all the while slashing at the dragons that attacked her or simply putting on a burst of speed against the kamikaze dragons targeting her. </p><p>Then as if that wasn’t enough, beams of concentrated ether lanced down on her from above as she whirled past a dragon's claws trying to rake across her face. Behind Sigurd, blazing white runes spun in concentric circles as they spat out thick beams of energy, each one of them large enough to blow away half of MHX’s entire body. Several more joined the first five, and then the air behind him was filled with runic arrays in a similar manner to Gate of Babylon, except it was ether rays instead of weapons, white instead of gold.</p><p>At this point, she could only rely purely on her instinct, sharpened and honed against Sabers until she received a special boost against enemies that could be classified as such. Her skin crawled, and the hairs on her head prickling every time she felt death shave past her, but it was what kept her alive as she received a heads up in advance every time something was aimed at her in the dense clouds of homing orbs that disrupted her vision and prevented her from staying still in one place. Between the orbs that were hot on her trail, the dragons swooping down on her from all sides and the beams suddenly appearing without warning, she was wondering how long she’d last. </p><p>Sinking further below a trio of beams cutting through the orbs above her, she adjusted her grip on the sword and twisted it, undocking it from the lock and swinging it in front of her as the spray of ether decimated the mines in front of her, eating up all the explosive orbs that were starting to drift towards her as she stayed in their proximity, before switching it off and letting herself fall downwards, the orbs following behind her overshooting as they flew past her blue jacket flapping in the wind. </p><p>A few screens came online as she checked the status of the systems running in her suit, appearing in the periphery of her vision as it automatically ran a diagnostics check to see whether the functions she needed to use were able to work as intended. It took less than a second to complete, and in that time she turned around to face the ground and the orbs surging up towards her, using her sword in small bursts to maneuver around them until she activated the force fields. When she felt the pressure beneath her soles, she pushed off with all her strength. </p><p>Her sudden descent away from Sigurd was unforeseen, and when he was trying to adjust for it, she suddenly rebounded upwards again, throwing off his aim as the beams and ether dragons hit empty air. </p><p>For her part, she was already redirecting her bounce as she pushed off again with the aid of the force fields under her boots, though they were low on power and could only last for less than twenty momentary platforms, serving as brief windows for her to adjust her course. She could also feel that she needed to conserve her strength with the ether jets from her sword, otherwise even with the Artorium reserves within her body supplying her with mana, she’d still run out soon. She needed to deliver the final blow, the feeling that she’d received from Avalon. It wasn’t something that she could just do on a whim either, and the more gas in the tank she had left, the more likely it was that she could do it, or at least that was what she thought. As to how exactly she was going to do the move, she left that for when the time came.</p><p>Far below on the ground, the man continued to repel all the remaining fallout that fell near the ramen shop combined with his workshop. Though the attacks that rained down were many and mighty, he didn’t even break a sweat against them, simply calling forth the right tool for the occasion every time as he swung the swords in his hand until they crumbled to dust. Drawing forth their maximum innate potential in one blow, testing his own steel to the limits. To Gray, it was unthinkable that a simple swing of a sword could produce such results, yet there he was, each muscle of his arm, the back, the hips and his legs straining to bring the naked blade in a rough swing that seemed to be done in hopes of breaking the sword, yet was simply him testing it. The air rippled when it sailed through the air, and by the time he was done, large swathes of projectiles were cut out from the sky, beams were deflected and meteors were erased. </p><p>The man himself was starting to slightly regret that he’d allowed them to start a fight so close to his house though. He had originally planned to spectate from the side and see their swordsmanship, but it had escalated quickly. It was getting annoying having to defend his workshop from being blown apart by the mere fallout of their attacks, and he could only hope that their fight finished quickly, since it wasn’t in his policy to interfere with customers' business. If it took too long though, for the sake of his workshop and the two kids living in it, he would act.</p><p>MHX continued to strafe in the skies above as a storm raged all around her, all the while getting closer and closer to Sigurd. It might as well have been raining swords on her as she wove through the ever tighter gaps between the clusters of balls, with a now mile-long tail of orbs stretching behind her as they struggled to catch up to her and explode once close enough. Sigurd’s eyebrows twitched as he realized that nothing was working, not the absurd number of homing seeker bombs, not the autonomous ether dragons, not the hundreds of circles behind him raining hellfire onto the dense cloud below him which concealed MHX. By all rights, she should be dead, yet she was somehow getting through everything with nary a scratch. </p><p>Well fine, looks like he would have to go as far he could to stop her. </p><p>With a thought, all the spheres in the field exploded at the same time. The same happened to the dragons, and then his runic arrays behind him all fired at once, creating a curtain of beams that seemed impenetrable as they cut through the explosions as they started to fade, razing the area which the orbs once inhabited and vaporizing anything left within the vicinity. </p><p>Then for a good measure, while the runic arrays exhausted themselves, he created a ball of swirling energy larger than the rest, tilting back his head as he summoned all the ether in his lungs, worlds of Magic that produced near-limitless energy. With a sharp jerk of his head, he sent all the mana he’d accumulated in the form of what the ancients called the deadliest weapon of the dragons, dragon breath. Flames that would scorch even entire planets of ice, quenching suns and devouring stars. </p><p>As soon as the runic arrays ceased firing, the air trembled, particles of oxygen glowing in anticipation of the coming flood, the entire area brightening as if the sun was once more in the sky. </p><p>From a single dot appearing in Sigurd’s throat, it flowed until the entirety of his innards seemed to be glowing from his mouth, a glimmer that outshone the distant stars. Gray and the swordsmith could glimpse it through the fading haze that was all that remained of the orbs which once crowded the skies. MHX too, could feel static crawl across her skin as she lifted her eyes towards where she could sense Sigurd, and once she laid eyes on the white dot, her eyes widened. Before she or anybody else could act, the brightness became a sheer blistering point of blinding ether that was swelling until it felt like Sigurd would explode from the amount of energy he was harboring within his body. He held it back as searing pain consumed his body, not just from his throat and mouth, but on his chest as well, a burning that felt like his body was melting starting. When he felt he couldn’t hold it in any longer, he relaxed his control over the dam that held back the power, allowing it to spill out.</p><p>Then an all-consuming flood of white completely covered everything, the entire sky blotted out in a spread of white that was like a giant bucket of white paint had spilled onto the sky. Except everything it touched disintegrated into nothing. </p><p>The man stared up at the sky, his jaw tightening. </p><p>“You’ve got to be kidding me.”</p><p>It dyed the skies a white not unlike those of dwarf stars, a tinge of blue accompanying it as it swept through the air, wiping away the stars, nebulas, moons and the rest of the galaxy above the planet. There was no flaw in the carpet of blankness and night turned into day under it, a plain of devastation stretching from one end of the sky to the other, and reaching further beyond that. Even though Gray knew in her heart that it wasn’t going to destroy the planet, it still felt like Sigurd’s attack would raze the entire surface of the desert with the sheer scale of his attack, turning the sand into glass, the air boiled into plasma. The man was struck dumb too, staring upwards as destruction descended on the desert. </p><p>The first person to experience his dragon-breath up close and personal however, was MHX. </p><p>After getting blindsided by the orbs exploding instantaneously together, followed by the indiscriminate bombardment of the energy beams, she was in a bad shape, only weathering through the damage after diverting all her energy and mana into creating a shield that was thick enough to protect herself and prevent her death. The translucent blue barrier shimmered underneath the barrage, her reserves of mana dipping rapidly as blue ripples spread outwards from each point of impact until the force field turned opaque, but it held. Just when she felt the shield projectors start to shudder under the continued stress, the bombardment ceased, and she was able to deactivate the film of energy, the projector’s whining in protest as they powered down, overtaxed and on the verge of failure. She wobbled, almost falling out of the sky as felt the force fields beneath her boots straining, her suit’s battery already burned out and drawing on her body’s innate Cosmo Reactor to continue functioning. </p><p>She sighed, staring up at the now visible Sigurd as the cloud of orbs had cleared, hoping that she would be able to muster the strength and willpower to muscle her way upwards. Then she saw what he was doing, and her eyes widened.</p><p>At that range, it couldn’t even be called dragon’s breath. It was more like multiple fusion bombs going off in her face, a heat so deadly that she wouldn’t even feel it as her nerves would be destroyed before she received the first impulse of pain in her brain. But instead of getting turned to charred ash in an instant, the world slowed down to a crawl. She watched as the diffuse remains of the orbs drifted lazily until they came to a stop in the air, each and every one of the ether particles suspended in the air. The cone of energy that was rapidly expanding from Sigurd’s mouth stopped midway, turning into a solid cone of brilliant energy that was barely larger than a traffic cone. She could feel in her bones, a heavy sensation falling onto her shoulders, her limbs and her head, like she had become encased in c*rbonite. Her vision refused to budge as her point of view became locked, permanently gazing at Sigurd and the ether spewing out of his mouth, but she was oddly unbothered by the constrictions on her body. </p><p>Instead, there was a scintillating sense of freedom, not in the body, but in spirit. Floating in the air, her body melted into the surrounding. Her mind didn’t just focus on the dragon-human hybrid unleashing it’s ultimate attack on her, but instead saw the galaxy in all it’s glory behind him as well. Somewhere deep in her soul, a connection formed. She couldn’t feel it, but she knew it was there. A sense of fulfillment, of becoming whole again, became known to her, and then the memory of the way she had found within that cup of Cosmo-noodles within the blank space after her supposed death came back to her, flooding into her mind and imprinting the ability into her being. In that moment, it was like the universe was embracing her, and she in turn was embracing the universe as well. </p><p>Before time began moving again, she could feel herself already acting, swords in both hands as she cast away all thought and emptied herself, a state of both emptiness and utter concentration, balancing nothingness in her mind with her entire body filled with the one purpose, every fiber of her being moving to perform a single strike. There was no need to think, her body and mind already knowing the necessary movements, performing it more naturally than breathing, reaching a result that she already knew in advance. At that intersection of infinite and zero, a wellspring of creation burst forth, countered by a whirlpool of destruction. </p><p>“Stars spiralling into void’s maw, arms of the cosmic dust that harbors life, both past and present stretch towards the etherspace. Threading the cosmos of Sabers, cataphract denial!”</p><p>Or at least, that was what was running through her head. In reality, her actions were too swift for her mouth to form a single word, unless she suddenly became the fastest rapper that universe had ever known. </p><p>At that moment, her Spirit Graph registered her enemy as a Saber, despite his drastic change both in form and spirit, and the full potential of her Noble Phantasm revealed itself, the molecules of her body itself reacting and responding to the essence of a Saber. A chain reaction was kickstarted, her Cosmo Reactor connecting to the mysterious force outside the Universe, the rumored Star of Saber that aided Sabers in the most dire of hours, granting them strength in times of desperate need.</p><p>The two swords in her hands became shrouded in energy, far larger than their original size, and then bringing them up over head , she swung them downwards and unleashed a slash that would tear apart giant planets and snuff out the brightest of stars. This was her will, her drive, her purpose that pushed her onwards. A cut that reached the destiny of a Saber, and severed the threads of fate. </p><p>“Apocalypse Saber!”</p><p>The blacksmith thought he was tripping when he saw two lines cutting across the entire sky, and then the gaps expanded, obliterating the entire canvas of white that blanketed the sky and rendering into nothingness. It disappeared just as quickly as it appeared, a clear ‘X’ emblazoned in the air as it split into four sections and then vanished. At the center, where the two lines intersected, a cloud golden and sapphire dust and vapour hung in the air, a globe of ether remnants within surrounding the position that Sigurd had occupied a second ago. </p><p>Then he looked down, startled as the sand dropped back down, the sound of slithering paper echoing across the dunes as the sand for miles around all dropped back down a few inches or so, attracted by the brief singularity created at the moment of MHX’s strike right at the center.</p><p>Gray stood frozen in place, once more in awe after having witnessed a sky bleaching attack, and a slash that ate the sky itself, in quick succession. There was nothing like it in the modern day, with little mana left to lend itself to such miracles, and with the Association and others preventing such visible incidents from occurring, it was all but impossible. To see a battle of mythical proportions right in front of her was a treat for her eyes, and a reminder as well of the power she had been given, traced from a hero of legend too. </p><p>In the air, MHX wheezed as she struggled to stand, her force fields flickering as they phased in and out of tangibility, dropping her bit by bit as they failed. Sparks flew off the exposed parts of her suit, the lights dimmed while some were out right melted, and she felt dead tired. Nevertheless, she had managed to pull it off, an imitation of the ultimate anti-Saber technique that she had fully performed in the white space. A grin wormed itself onto her face, though the muscles hurt as they strained to form the expression. Letting her arms hanging loosely at her sides, the swords slipped from her grasp and fell down, dispelling into ether as they did so.</p><p>Without warning, a deadly pressure suddenly slammed onto her whole body, locking her in place as she felt her head clear in an instant, her muscles trembling minutely as her breath slowed down and went steady from the instinctive need to return to alertness. Stiffly turning her head, she looked upwards at the source of the chilling gaze. </p><p>Hair hung in front of her face, her head bowed forwards as she floated still in the air, with no wind to stir the strands, a silky blue curtain that hid her eyes. It should have been impossible to tell where she was staring at, whether her eyes were even open at all, but MHX could feel it in her bones that right now, Brynhildr was definitely locked on her with blank, lifeless eyes. In the imaginary gaps between her pale hair, she could imagine the purple pupils devoid of the iris, a shadow cast over her face. </p><p>She was definitely a yandere, MHX decided.</p><p>She watched as Brynhildr took her time to lift the spear, raising it above her shoulder as it grew in size continuously in silence, the mass ominously expanding until its shadow covered the observers on the ground below, and it still continued. It grew past MHX, the shaft going past her as the tip went towards the ground, the haft stretching towards and the moons in the sky, a bridge to connect the planet and the other planetoids in the system. </p><p>Gulping, she realized her throat was already too dry to do so, her eyes arrested by the behemoth that seemed to go into the vastness of space and fill it in. She could only kneel in the air on her last few minutes remaining of the force field that supported her, mesmerized by the titanic rod, a divine weapon fueled from humane emotions, generated by a Valkyrie that had fallen in love with a half-human, half-dragon warrior. </p><p>“Looks like it’s my turn.”</p><p>Instead of being frozen in shock, the man on the ground stared up at the spear that was already stabbing into the desert, drilling down into the shifting sands and into the rocky crust of the planet. His eyes weren’t filled with determination, resolution, fear or reluctance. If anything, there was a hint of resignation in them, but asides from that, they were clear, devoid of anything. </p><p>“My body may be worn and old, but the longer you temper your skills, the sharper they get. This may as well be my peak when compared to my younger self.”</p><p>Though his body was that of a youthful man, he could still grasp the feeling of his original being, and that essence was transferred over into the new container. </p><p>“I’ve been forging for a long time, so long that I guess you could call it infinite. Still, none of my works have ever saved people without killing anyone. When you make a sword, it will be used to kill. That is its purpose, it's way of life. No matter who uses it, whether it's someone good or bad, it will be used to harm others. To protect others, to kill one’s enemies, to steal the lives of others for personal gain.”</p><p>The world around him shimmered, as if in a heat haze, then the desert faded away, to be replaced by a world of dark smog and red skies, dust, ash and smoke hiding the celestial bodies. The flat plains stretched into the distant horizon, with flames covering every single inch for as far as the eye could see. There was only one other thing in that world of his own, a land separated from the Common Sense of Mankind. </p><p>As one, all the swords collapsed and disintegrated into a swirl of orange sparks, metal dust and fire, the infinite world swirling into a single blade in his right hand. The concentrated efforts of all his years, the culmination of his experience, skill and ability, a magnum opus that would remain surpassed by any other, uprooting those before it, unrivalled by those after it.</p><p>“To fight against the fate of swords, I created a sword to purge the hate. A katana that cleaves through fate, destiny and karma. That can purge one's cause itself.”</p><p>Hefting the katana into his hand, he held it out at it’s full length. </p><p>“This wasn’t the answer I was looking for, but it’s damn close.”</p><p>He placed both hands on the naked tang and raised it over his head in the ascension stance.</p><p>“There’s no choice but to bet it all on this.”</p><p>In his heart, he wished Onui and Tasuke a peaceful life. </p><p>“A nameless swordsmith unworthy to swing this sword will set your spirit free, Valkyrie of the everlasting flames. Here goes nothing, Tsumukari Muramasa!”</p><p>Gray watched even as his body crumbled away, turning to golden motes of ether while the blade traveled downwards, the almighty spear above shrinking rapidly as it’s owner felt the consequences of that one slash. </p><p>Then it was her turn to disappear from the dream.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0176"><h2>176. Chapter 171</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 171<br/>A pink petal lazily drifted onto Gray’s nose, landing on the tip before sliding downwards towards her upper lip as she breathed, her nose twitching in response to the fragrance. It didn’t take long before her sinuses started getting irritated, the scent growing stronger as she sharply inhaled and exhaled to release the itchy feeling in her nose, but it unintentionally sucked the petal right into her nose as well. The itch exploded into a full-blown urge to sneeze as her spine curved on reflex, her body sitting up instinctively. Her mouth opened wide to breath in air as she fired off a cannonball of a sneeze, loud enough for Flat walking outside in the hallway to hear it, and sending the flower petal flying off the bed.  </p><p>Sniffing, Gray blinked and opened her eyes a couple of times in fatigue, sitting on the bed doing nothing. It took the snot slowly dribbling down her nose to finally kick her into action as she scrabbled around the bed stand for a tissue box, wiping away the clear liquid and sneezing away the rest of the itch. </p><p>She had barely finished sneezing when Flat burst into the room without knocking, zooming straight towards the bed and placing his hands on bed as he leaned forward, though she didn’t feel it was too close. </p><p>“Gray! You missed out on an epic eat-off while you were sleeping! The Master of Berserker, the Illyasviel girl? You know, the ones that make homunculi? Yeah them, they came over here after saving Rin, and then asked for an alliance with us because they felt like the Holy Grail War was going in a weird direction, and then Berserker, the girl in the school uniform? The one who was swinging those lightsabers? Yeah her! She was with Illya, and Archer was there with Rin, and then-”</p><p>Unnoticed by either of them, El-Melloi walked into the room and placed a hand on Flat’s shoulder.</p><p>“Let her rest for now. We still have business downstairs.”</p><p>He had come up after wondering what was taking Flat so long, and after spotting the door of Gray’s room ajar, it was obvious where he was. </p><p>“But-mph!”</p><p>Flat’s mouth was covered by his master's hand as he dragged the boy away physically, though he had to use some effort as he left the bed, step by step. </p><p>“Gray, come down whenever you’re ready. We’ll introduce the newcomers to you.”</p><p>With that, he closed the door, leaving Gray to her rest.</p><p>Gray just stared at the door blankly, her head still in the clouds after her sudden arousal from sleep. It was then that she remembered the wild ride of a dream she had just gone through. She leaned back down as the scenes flashed through her head, the sudden crash landing, stumbling across a lone ramen restaurant in a desert, fighting the bounty targets and then the old man sacrificing himself at the end. She didn’t know how MHX had survived having her Saint Graph pierced through, but then again after seeing the Servants of the Servant-verse throwing attacks equivalent to a fusion bomb like it was nothing, she didn’t doubt that MHX had some hidden trump card that allowed her to cheat death.</p><p>Staring at the ceiling, she was about to close her eyes and catch a few more minutes of sleep when a thought suddenly occurred to her, her mentor’s words regarding the Servant and Master bond coming to her. He had talked about experiencing vivid dreams while in possession of a Servant contract, and that it was a two-way channel. He had told her that thought these dreams could tell her a lot about her Servant, but the Servant could also learn about her if they chose to sleep and conserve mana. </p><p>Opening the link to Assassin, she hesitated, remembering that she had been injured while fighting for her, then a quick glance at the clock told her that enough time had passed for her to have sufficiently recovered to at least hold a conversation. Summoning her courage, she let out a deep breath, then proceeded to contact Assassin mentally. </p><p>“MHX, did you sleep just now while healing?”</p><p>“No, I didn’t.”</p><p>The response was prompt, and a surge of relief appeared in Gray’s heart. She wasn’t too fond of people knowing about her past, even if it was her Servant. It often made people treat her...differently, was how she would describe it. Though MHX did know about the reason behind her looks and ability, the specifics of her history was unknown to the Servant, and she preferred to keep it that way, at least for now.</p><p>“Did you see something in your sleep Gray? Perhaps something about me?”</p><p>MHX picked up on the reason behind Gray’s question as her keen intuition directed her towards it. </p><p>“Yes, I did.”</p><p>“Oh really? What did you see?”</p><p>She didn’t seem to be offended, judging by her passive tone, so Gray decided that it was probably safe to talk about it. </p><p>“You crash landed on a desert planet, and then fought against Sigurd and Brynhildr, or your Servant-verse version of them.”</p><p>“Oohhh, that one, yeah I remember that one. It was one of the toughest battles of my life, and let me tell you there were quite a few experiences that all vie for that position. Besides that one, there was this one time in the Horsehead Nebula where I got sent a jar of pickles, and then…”</p><p>Instead of sleeping, Gray spent the next hour listening to MHX regale her with tales and stories from her past, lying on the bed while her Servant chattered away without input. It was relaxing in a way, and she enjoyed hearing them as well. Though it may not have been as vivid as seeing it for herself in a dream, MHX’s passion imbued her words with life, and Gray felt like she could almost see the people, the land and the fights in front of her eyes as if she were there herself.</p>
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<a name="section0177"><h2>177. Chapter 177</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 177</p><p>Once Avenger and Saber were separated by only two flights of stairs, she stopped in place, standing motionlessly on the stone landing. Clouds passed in front of the moon, shrouding both Saber and Avenger in shadows. Silence reigned in the darkness, the two warriors not so much as giving the slightest twitch, eyes staring unblinkingly straight at their opponent. </p><p>Then the moon shone once more, igniting the start of a long night. </p><p>With a thunderous crash that shook the trees, sending dead leaves flying in every direction and outright disintegrating the ones too close, the swords of the two knights met, each packing enough force to flatten a car and send it flying up a skyscraper. Saber possessed the advantage of height, pressing down on Avenger’s sword and utilizing the power of gravity, but to Saber’s horror, it was far from enough. A mere second passed, and she was pushed back explosively, her body sent crashing into the top of the temple gate. Shingles shattered into fine dust as they met her armour, the symmetrical structure now sporting an unseemly crater in the middle. Then as Avenger leapt up to press the attack, she was forced back by three sets of golden rings that rippled at the edges, releasing small waves of golden light that gave off an air of instability as they closed in on Avenger. They came within inches of slicing into Avenger’s arms, legs and waist, the distortions in the air created by them kissing her skin. </p><p>A few generous applications of Mana Burst later, she was floating in the air above the golden rings, the stone stairs below sporting twin craters side by side from the pulse of force that easily demolished the stairs which had stood there before the current head of the Ryuudou Temple was born. Avenger hung in the air next to the treetops, sword already parrying the first of the golden rings as they zipped upwards at a sharp ninety degree angle the moment Avenger repositioned, unaffected by the released mana. Skating across the length of her blade as she deflected it off to her right, she held it parallel against her shoulder and body as she tucked her elbow in away from the edge to allow the second ring to hit, then in one fluid motion, the blade was swung in a clockwise arc from the back of her shoulder to the third ring, batting away as it cut below her feet that she raised slightly to just avoid it. The fourth was batted in a similar manner, though in the opposite direction, the sword going from bottom to top instead of top to bottom, and then the fifth and sixth ring clashed against her blade as they bit into her steel fiercely, two buzzsaws chewing away with high-pitched metallic shrieks against Clarent held horizontally against her body in front to block them. </p><p>Despite being mid-air with virtually nothing to provide leverage against, Avenger was able to spin her entire body, her biceps and pectorals straining as prana flowed into them, reinforcing beyond the ken of normal Servants. With one almighty swing, she twisted her body and sent the last two rings flying straight past her, letting them meet the other four rings that were boomeranging to her back after she had deflected them. The four gold discs met each other with a dismal screech which was sure to make the monks run to their doorstep if they hadn’t been put to sleep, and several birds left their roost, disturbed by the haunting noise. Caster’s rings exploded, raining fine golden dust on Avenger in the aftermath, but she didn’t stick around to look at the spectacle. </p><p>A shadow-like blur crossed the gap between Saber and Avenger, and then Avenger was there, locking blades with Saber once more. Only this time, Saber was standing toe to toe with her, not giving even an inch against the brutal strength pressing down on her from Clarent. Seeing that the bladelock wouldn’t get her anywhere, Avenger released one hand and thrust a fist towards Sabers midsection, casually keeping the pressure on Saber’s sword with the other. The dress fluttered into the air as Saber’s knee thrust upwards to intercept the blow, hammering the hard metal bulb that covered her knee into Avengers wrist, where there was thinner material to maintain the flexibility of her hands. But instead of hearing a satisfying crunch, she felt the cold grip of Avenger’s hands clamp around her knee, her armour creaking under the tight grasp. </p><p>Shi-</p><p>Going into overdrive, she reinforced her sole leg still left as much as she could, practically pumping gallons of prana into it along with Caster enchanting her body to withstand the pressure and increase her durability. As a result, when Avenger tried to throw her and slash her in the process, in the milliseconds before the action was attempted, she pushed against the stone her right leg was standing one, deep cracks spiralling outwards from a foot-shaped imprint on the stone tiles, and then she sank a whole inch downwards. With her strength at its peak, she snapped her leg upwards in a kick that broke the sound barrier. </p><p>With little warning, Avenger was sure to be caught by the supercharged kick, or so Saber thought. Instead, the warrior bent her back so fast she was already halfway to the ground by the time Saber’s leg started to rise from the hole it had made in the ground, her body going into an upside down U that let the lightning bolt of metal and flesh shoot past her navel into empty air. The wind almost rocked her off balance and tumbling down the stairs, pushing her entire body off the ground as her feet left the stone by inches, but in that moment she still had her grip on Saber’s knee, and she used that to her advantage. Withdrawing her sword hand, she tugged on the knee, hard.</p><p>It didn’t take a genius to realize that Avenger was trying to use Saber as an anchor to stop from being blown off her feet while simultaneously forcing her to defend as she pulled Saber towards the descending blade that was chipped and cracked in so many places. Unable to respond any faster after overcommitting on the kick, she raised Excalibur and blocked the cut, gritting her teeth as her entire body shook. Air exploded outwards from the point of contact, the blow resounding all the way to Shirou’s side of the hill, where he had heard the screech of Caster’s rings earlier as well. </p><p>The two of them effectively hung in mid-air just inches above the staircase as they glared into each others eyes, blades vying against one another for dominance, one with the Mana Burst running at full tilt with blessings of Vivian and the protection of Around Avalon assisting her, the other with pure raw strength that stepped beyond the boundaries of god’s and men when against an Artoria. Gravity took hold, and eking out another Mana Burst on top of everything she was already using, Saber managed to just position herself slightly over Avenger so that when they fell to the ground, she was pushing downwards with the momentum aiding her. </p><p>Unfortunately, this was far from enough to help her. Avengers blade remained like a stone statue, unyielding and unmoving. The moment her back touched the ground, she released her grip from Saber’s knee, used a two-handed grip on Clarent, and pushed against Saber. With nothing to brace against, Saber went rocketing into the sky, shooting past the gate, the treetops, the fleeing birds and higher into the air until a speck in the sky was all that she was. It didn’t do any direct harm to her besides perhaps the air pressure popping in her head and ears, but it definitely got her out of the way. </p><p>As Saber flew into the air, a small part of her mind mused on the fact that Avenger felt completely different from the Mordred she knew during her lifetime. Rather than relying on just raw instinct and animalistic strength to pull off great feats of combat, Avenger was instead calculating every move ahead of time, showing much more restraint than Saber was used to. Her reflexes and strength were top notch, and combined with the more refined style of combat that she showed, it was hard to get a grasp on what she was about to do, unpredictable in a different way than the Mordred of her past had been when she fought against her own daughter. </p><p>The intent to kill was still there though, just distilled into a finely honed edge instead of radiating off her whole body like heat. </p><p>With nothing standing in her way anymore, Avenger rolled onto her feet and catapulted into the open gate, her blade descending on Caster faster than a guillotine, the jagged edge of severed steel meeting the soft fabric that covered her shoulder. The cloak gave way as easily as butter against a hot knife, the sword sinking in to meet her skin. Then it stopped dead in its tracks.</p><p>At that exact moment, the mana capsules spaced around Caster lit up and released their contents in an explosive manner. A pillar of pulsing blue light wreathed in white bolts of energy tinged with azure rose into the sky, becoming a beacon of magical energy that could be easily detected for miles around. When the mana decayed, Caster didn’t hesitate to thrust her staff into the ground, focusing her Circuits into Chastiefol as it hastened to obey her orders, lines of energy erupting from the ground and rumbling towards the center of the trap that she had prepared. </p><p>It was unfortunate that Avenger had already anticipated such a move, using the pillar as a smokescreen to move out of Caster’s range, weathering the explosion and then swerving all the way to the left just outside of Caster’s field of vision. When Caster caught sight of Avenger again, it was already too late. Her presence was right next to her, the blade bearing down on her waist. Caster could only shift her staff slightly to her right before Clarent edge but into her flesh, cutting cleanly through the scabbard on the back of her waist. </p><p>Again, the sensation of an invisible barrier protecting Caster’s body could be felt, but this time instead of aiming to cut through, Avenger instead put in more effort and pushed with her blade, grinding it against the unseen wall between her steel and Caster’s skin. There was no contest in the strength between the two, even with all the enchantments Caster could cast, and before she could blink the blonde haired Servant was sent flying, the surroundings turning into a blur as she was launched out the gate faster than a racecar. A roar of wind ripped through the temple as Avenger followed Caster, chasing after her with no intention of letting up. But as her head passed the threshold of the gate, she found herself having to block an invisible blade that hammered into Clarent and would have cut deeply into her shoulder if she hadn’t sensed it in time. Her momentum was enough to push back the attacker, but Caster was spared from a third blow as Saber defended her . </p><p>Before she rose too far away from the ground, Saber was caught by the portal that Caster had created in time to catch her, the murky pine colored ripples with black patches appearing in mid-air as a ring of pointed tips poked out of the rim of the portal, copies of the catalyst Carnwennan that allowed her to cast the spell. Though she was unable to perform such a feat outside of the Around Avalon, within the Bounded Field she could bend the rules enough to enhance Carnwennans shadow-shifting properties, allowing a semi-teleportation to take place with a human, Servant or animal as long as there were shadows around, in this case on Saber’s back with the moon shining above her. With her back shadowed, it became a possible point of entry, and Saber was dumped back to the stairs of Ryuudou Temple. </p><p>From the shadow of Avenger cast by the moon, turquoise lances of unknown material shot out of the black surface, now rippling like water tinted green. The greaves she wore remained unpierced, but they encircled her legs in a way that kept her rooted in place, preventing her from taking another step. At the same time, Saber unleashed the scabbard that cloaked her blade when Avenger wrested free of her bindings, the four winds blasting free from their prison as Saber released the cage holding them. Ultra-high pressure air that twisted light and hid the blade burst forth in a cone, enveloping Avenger with the force of a mini F-5 tornado.</p><p>“Strike Air!”</p><p>The Hammer of the Wind King did it’s job, blowing back Avenger into the boundaries of the temple, she found herself under bombardment from a trio of swords that were disproportionately wide, a fat width decorated with ornamental designs that one would expect to see on a ceremonial sword. It was far from practical to use in hand-to-hand combat, with more effectiveness as a club than a sword. But with Caster’s usage as catalysts, they became bombs that unleashed magical fury on Avenger. Streaming golden light bathed the Servant as each catalyst fired away with abandon, striking her and the ground indiscriminately as the air became saturated with power, the ground shaking from the heavy strike. Saber could feel the trembling from her toes, the temple creaking with the vibrations. Then it was over. </p><p>Unsummoning the Marmyadose trio, Caster floated up behind Saber as they peered in at the crater the central courtyard of the temple was now sporting. </p><p>*KAN*</p><p>The next thing Saber knew, she was driven into the ground, her face full of stone, dust and dirt. She could feel the force of Clarent on her back, breaking her armour like eggshells and pushing her down, but her body remained untouched even with the monstrous strength Avenger was exhibiting. Spinning to the side, the Servant dodged as Caster sent more spells flying at her, performing several acrobatic rolls, flips and cartwheels as each bolt of colored energy and projectiles flew past her with millimeters to spare. Behind, the temple was protected by shadow portals that sucked in all the missed shots, regurgitating them out at Avenger from different angles as they surrounded her from all sides. </p><p>It wasn’t enough, but Saber was able to extract herself from the ground by the time Avenger had escaped the spells and started charging at Caster. As the Magic Core started burning, courtesy of the startup energy provided through the local ley lines with Caster’s help, her muscles flexed as she channeled several gems worth of prana into a Mana Burst as she met Avenger’s blade, the chipped steel caught by the exposed blade of Excalibur, dimly reflecting the moonlight off it’s mirror finish. Using Excalibur as a springboard, Avenger pushed off it and spun the other way, rotating her entire body before Saber could react and launching a devastating blow with the flat of her blade that lifted Saber into the air like a baseball and a bat, swinging hard for a home run as Saber once more sailed into the air unwillingly. The tiles broke beneath Avenger’s feet, but she could care less as she continued to stomp forward one step, cracking the floor and propelling her forwards at Caster. </p><p>By this point, it was obvious to Avenger that there was some kind of defensive spell protecting the two Servants, and it was at a level where she couldn’t even begin to hope to scratch their flesh, much less harm them, though their apparel seemed to be unaffected by the protection. This invulnerability was most likely the work of Caster, so she made it a priority to focus the diminutive girl with the staff as she worked to get Saber out of the way and drag the magus out of the territory she had set up as her Workshop. Or Temple. Whatever it was, as long as she could force Caster out of it’s range, the effect would likely disappear, from there onwards it would be significantly easier to harm them. It was either that, or she exhausted Caster’s supply of energy, though with the leylines supporting her it would be difficult to say the least. Instead, it was easier to burn her out by forcing her to channel the vast amount of mana required to maintain the enchantment protecting the two. It was no small effort to cast it on one person, let alone two, and she was sure the fatigue was going to show sooner or later the longer the fight dragged on. </p><p>While Saber and Caster were invulnerable, Avenger herself possessed a level of hardiness and endurance that no other Servant was able to match. Even after receiving Strike Air head-on and flash burned by the mana pillar from the exploding capsules, she sustained few injuries, and her strength was hardly touched in the few minutes of combat they had engaged in. If it was a battle of attrition, she had a chance of victory as well. </p><p>While Caster retrieved Saber from the air again, she focused her defenses against Avenger, throwing everything she had as the juggernaut charged at her. She could feel the heated glare resting on her as the black knight dove through slashing blades of golden prana and countless turquoise spears that split the air, cutting through the obstacles and weaving an path unseen by all but herself through the sweeping clouds of deadly projectiles. Chastiefol shone with brilliant azure light as Caster pulled from every offensive spell in her repertoire, doing her best not to damage the temple too much while piling on a dense assault on her opponent. </p><p>Despite her best efforts, her maze of spells and prana blasts barely held back Avenger for less than half a minute, the tip of Clarent piercing the haze of energy that surrounded her, than the rest of the body coming through as Avenger tanked several shots coming at her to advance on Caster. Magic Resistance blunted the force of the blows, and Caster gritted her teeth as she shifted into a melee stance while Avenger rushed at her. </p><p>“HAH!”</p><p>Letting out a spirited shout, she thrust her staff between herself and Avenger at the last second, the shock of the blow sending her tumbling head over heels that she converted into a rolling dodge when Clarent was brought down on her body three times in quick succession, smashing three divots into the stone. Straightening up, she thrust the staff at Avenger as Carnwennan pierced from all sides, constricting the Servants movements for Caster to unleash a blast of mana from the tip of her staff, before scattering mana capsules in the air and firing at one to spark off a chain reaction of explosions around Avenger. It didn’t do much as Avenger broke free quite quickly, evading most of the attacks while what little that did hit were greatly reduced in power by her innate resistance, but she was unable to catch hold of Caster as she slipped through a shadowy portal and disappeared while Avenger was preoccupied. </p><p>Where is Saber?</p><p>Caster wondered as she crouched on the roof tiles above the temple, doing her best to remain hidden as she remotely activated spells to attack Avenger while she set up a stealth spell with the dagger floating next to her as a catalyst. Without any sound, she was wrapped in the shadows by Carnwennan, disappearing as the darkness lengthened around her, muting her presence and disguising her mana signature. With that done, she sent out her magical senses in search of Saber. What she found made her frown. </p><p>Two Servants?</p><p>One was definitely Saber, but the other was so weak and...diluted, for a lack of a better word, that the presence would barely qualify as a Servant. Was it another enemy? A concerted attack with Avenger? If so, then who was it? She couldn’t quite tell the newcomer’s identity, and it was a mystery why Saber hadn’t repelled her when the newcomer felt so weak, like a phantom barely tethered to the world. A stiff breeze felt like enough to defeat the Servant, but at least Saber didn’t seem to be in any danger. </p><p>Abruptly, she rolled to the side as a rusted, jagged piece of steel stabbed straight through the roof she had been crouching on a second ago. Slipping off the roof, streaks of golden light covered her back as she dashed away from Avenger, Spumador proving too fast for Avenger to dodge, but at the same time inflicting little more than skin-deep pinpricks on her. Undaunted by the lightning fast arrows piercing her, Avenger leaped off the roof and gave chase. </p><p>In response, Caster levelled one of her stronger catalysts at her, making sure to aim from an upward angle from the ground to the sky as a familiar sword appeared in front of Avenger. The brilliance of the Sun lit up the small confines of the temple, turning night into day as temperatures skyrocketed on the top of the mountain, melting snow and burning stone. </p><p>It may have been the sister sword of Excalibur, but Galatine surpassed it in sheer destructiveness. Whereas Excalibur fired off a concentrated beam of ether that possessed great penetrating power, Galatine was a spreading flame that consumed everything in its path. As Avenger knew very well, having faced off against the wielder before during her life. She was given a grim reminder once more of why it took her so long to secure victory against that annoying show-off who was known as ‘Knight of the Sun’. Torrents of fire licked Avenger’s body, Caster taking the effort to tighten the area of effect and focus the flames into a pillar instead of letting it release as an omnidirectional blaze. The black figure became lost within the orange flames, her outline fading into the twisting cyclone of heat. </p><p>Ten more seconds passed as Caster sustained the roaring inferno, and then she released it, certain that Avenger at the very least, had to have had her armour charred black by now. Or blacker than it was before, at any rate. She was rewarded with the sight of Avenger kneeling on the molten stone, her knees sinking slightly in the soft ground as she remained in that position motionless, the armour and clothes all damaged to the point that only her armour and certain bits of clothing strategically covering her were left. Her skin was stained with black soot, and Caster could see what looked like inflamed skin at the center of her body, angry red patches swelling on the scarred skin. She only realized now that there was an inordinate amount of scars and old wounds criss-crossing her skin, turning her body into a criss-crossing pattern of lines. </p><p>It seemed to have been effective to some extent, as Avenger slowly got back to her feet. The attack was enough to overwhelm her resistance, finally feeling her injuries for the first time. Though Caster was starting to feel the strain of maintaining her Noble Phantasm on four people at once, with the additional mana expenditure of the spells and catalysts she had summoned during the fight, if something on the level of Galatine was able to work on Avenger, then she could probably manage to bring her down if she managed to hit her a few more times with a similar attack. </p><p>“How long do you plan on resisting your fate?”</p><p>Caster blinked upon hearing Avenger’s voice for the first time, addressing her directly. </p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>Avenger raised her head to look at the girl, younger than her with the physical container that she had been granted. Lifting her injured body off the ground, Avenger straightened her back and pulled Clarent out of the place where it had stabbed into the ground next to her. </p><p>“You will die at my hands, father. What you did couldn’t be forgiven, and you will always hold the potential to act out the same things you did back then.”</p><p>Caster stared in confusion, but she assumed it had to be something from Avenger’s past that made her what she was. </p><p>“I’m not the father you knew, and most likely will never be. There’s no meaning in killing me.”</p><p>Avenger moved forward, dragging the tip of her broken sword against the warped tiles that were rapidly cooling down and solidifying. The rattle of the metal against stone was irritating, but the sounds of steel clashing at the stairs where Saber and the enemy were fighting were louder still. Caster looked at Avenger fixedly, ignoring everything else besides the constant support of her protection afforded by her Noble Phantasm. There was a strange sense of dissonance in her mind regarding Avenger, and though the desire to kill her was there, the universal hate that she’d expected to feel from a Servant wholly focused on revenge just wasn’t there. Mordred herself was incredibly cold and level-headed, her fighting cold and precise. </p><p>Instead of answering with words, Avenger replied by rushing forward and swinging her sword at Caster. The magus retreated through a portal, another barrage of spells bombarding Avenger again before the portal could even close. </p><p>She’s not going to catch me with just that.</p><p>So far, while Avenger had displayed incredible durability, agility and strength, not to mention her uncannily accurate instincts and senses, she hadn’t really displayed anything beyond that, with little abilities used besides Mana Burst, something that Saber and Caster had already expected from her. Caster was thankful for that, since it meant she had less to worry about from collateral damage, making her job of protecting the temple itself and its inhabitants easier, with the majority of the firepower focused on herself, but she couldn’t help but worry. What kind of cards was Avenger concealing up her sleeve?</p><p>Outside the temple gates, on the stairs where Avenger had passed through, Saber growled in frustration as she plucked the cards from her arms, ducking under a flurry of exploding red rectangles as she endeavoured to get closer to the zombified Ruler, to no avail. As Ruler lurched away from her with unsteady feet that miraculously didn’t trip herself, a continuous stream of cards pelted Saber like rain, though they didn’t do much more beyond slowing down her progress and forcing her to block. It would take some time for the playing cards to wear her down, and while in contrast Saber could easily cut down Ruler with one stroke of her sword, but the problem was that she couldn’t.</p><p>Sacrificing all of the remaining Command Seals seared onto her back in one go, Ruler sealed off a large portion of Saber’s strength, layering the same command ‘slow down’ several times, ‘do not touch Ruler’ and ‘stand still’. Each command had several Seals enforcing it, and it made it incredibly difficult to summon her full strength, her body warring against her mind as every single step took herculean amounts of willpower, her strength augmented by Caster’s blessings doing little to help. It felt like she was back to square one again, with only Shirou’s mana to sustain her as she felt her body move in what felt like slow-motion to dodge the projectiles when compared to her speed against Avenger moments ago. Already, her body was littered with cuts all over from being unable to move properly, and getting to where Ruler felt like climbing to the top of Mount Everest with both hands tied behind her back, a monumental task that was nigh impossible.</p><p>Gritting her teeth, she parried another wave of explosive cards to the side as she did her best to avoid the green cards cutting through the air, ignoring the pain that blossomed from her side as a few of them narrowly missed their mark, but left thin red lines on her body. Lowering her body, she feigned a loss of balance, her sword far away from her body as if she had overreached, prompting Ruler to launch a salvo of cards right at her, a concentrated cloud with no gaps in between. </p><p>She was already tumbling as the cards whistled through the air, her body rolling down the steps one by one. It was a loophole in the commands, tripping on purpose, but she could still feel her body resisting the momentum as her elbows twitched to purposely catch on the stair ledges, her feet and knees subtly moving to bang on the stairs as much as possible, slowing her down considerably. With no other choice, Saber halted in her tracks as the next volley of cards came, having only traveled a dozen steps or so. She was disappointed to see Ruler slowly opening up the distance between them again as she shuffled down step by step. </p><p>She was starting to regret using Strike Air on Avenger now. She was unable to rush forward and end the fight in one blow, but neither could she run away and assist Caster against Avenger, since she couldn’t move as fast as she wanted to, and Ruler was guaranteed to take advantage of that and strike her fleeing back. Advancing was difficult, but retreating was also equally hard, forcing Saber to weigh her options as she forced her wrists and arms to move, blocking the incoming cards. </p><p>*GAOO!!*</p><p>Suddenly, a guttural roar shook her out of her thoughts, and she craned her neck to look at the growling lions standing on each side of Ruler. Though they were much smaller than what she could summon at full strength, they were still familiars with the strength to rend a Servant to shreds. With another chorus of spirited roars, they pounced on Saber.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0178"><h2>178. Chapter 178</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 178</p><p>When Kuzuki stopped in his tracks, Shirou followed suit, ceasing his footsteps as the man stared at the trees in front of them. </p><p>As Shirou stood behind him, he heard a slight buzzing noise near him. Tilting his side to the side, a revolting insect with rotating wings and a wicked sharp stinger at the bottom left the bushes and flew towards him, moving at an alarmingly fast pace. </p><p>“Wha-”</p><p>Already, the traced shinai in his hands moved to smack the bug, but Kuzuki was several steps ahead. A blur flitted in front of Shirou’s eyes, causing him to subconsciously jerk back, and before he knew it the insect was splattered against the side of a tree, the wings torn off from the force of impact as it’s barbed legs twitched weakly in its death throes. Pale straw blood stained the brittle bark, and after a moment the crushed thorax fell off. </p><p>“Hoho, quite the fist you have there.”</p><p>From the front, an aged voice drifted towards them, and then the owner of the voice showed himself. A hum of hundreds of wings, the leaves rustling, the branches shaking, as his body arrived. Beneath their feet, they could feel the earth shifting as fallen twigs and dried leaves crunched beneath the feet of many shadows crawling across the ground, heading towards the same spot. </p><p>“However, it would take some time to clean up insects with only two fists. They usually come in swarms, after all.”</p><p>Their opponent of the night revealed his face as he stepped into the gap between the trees that allowed moonlight to fall through, the stooped shadow changing into an elderly man with his hands folded behind his back, dressed in traditional attire complete with wooden geta and hakama hanging loosely off his small frame, with a black robe circling his shoulders and waist. </p><p>“Matou-san?”</p><p>Shirou’s surprise leaked as he recognized the wrinkled, pale face in front of them. He had only seen him once or twice, but the patriarch of the Matou family’s appearance was quite unforgettable, and after the events of the day before, he easily remembered his identity in an instant. The beady black eyes narrowed slightly as his toothless mouth split into a humorless grin. </p><p>“Ah, Emiya-kun. I would say it’s a pleasure to meet you again on this fine night, but it’s a shame that we have to meet under such circumstances. Otherwise, I would like to have some tea with you, to get to know the close friend of my granddaughter better.”</p><p>Shirou gripped the wooden shinai tighter at the mention of Sakura, but he restrained himself and asked.</p><p>“What are you doing here Matou-san?”</p><p>He had thought the Matou’s were unrelated with this War, since both Shinji and Sakura didn’t possess a lick of potential as magi, nor did they show any signs of being one. Caster had also assumed as much, but it appeared that they had left out one person. The grandfather looked as active as ever, and judging by his manner of appearance, he wasn’t just coming for a friendly chat. What was he trying to do?</p><p>“It’s nothing much, there’s simply something here that I need.”</p><p>This time Kuzuki spoke up. </p><p>“Your warning about the battle in Miyama district was appreciated, but your timing now isn’t mere coincidence, is it.”</p><p>“Timing? What are you talking about, hm?”</p><p>Feigning ignorance, the old man took a step forward, and Kuzuki lifted his hands into the air, with Shirou raising his shinai behind him. </p><p>“Now there, there’s no need to show such disrespect to your elders. Put down your weapons, and we can talk over tea at the temple.”</p><p>Silence hung in the air, a pregnant pause with tension thick enough to cut through as Zouken stared at Kuzuki’s calm eyes, Shirou watching the two of them while resisting the urge to cough or gulp as the salive pooled in throat, his mouth turning dryer by the second. </p><p>Then the scenery turned into a blur, Shirou feeling something like an iron bar against his stomach pushing him backwards, and when he looked down it as Kuzuki’s arm pinning as they hurtled through the forest faster than humanly possible, his teacher’s legs picking a path through the trees as they distance themselves from Zouken. </p><p>“Kuzuki, why-”</p><p>“We’re surrounded, fall back.”</p><p>No sooner had Kuzuki answered Shirou when the boy saw the clouds of pursuers far behind them, a multitude of creatures that buzzed and whirred, while the ground seemed to turn into a black river as numerous glistening bodies covered the forest floor, soaking the dirt in slime as they traversed the uneven terrain at a frightening pace towards the two fleeing Masters. </p><p>Kuzuki released his hold on Shirou to let him run by himself, and together they started to race back up the side of the mountain to the temple. They were in disadvantageous terrain outside of the spiritual border that protected Mt. Ryuudou, so it would be prudent to return there. In addition, they didn’t have any method to exterminate the insect familiars, since Zouken was correct. There were only so many insects he could kill with his hands, and it was a vastly inefficient method that would possibly take hours to defeat all of Zouken’s familiars, not to mention they had no idea how to kill Zouken himself, since his body seemed to be primarily composed of insects. Their compatibility in skills was simply too unfavourable.</p><p>Though they did have an invisible wall wrapped around their skin offering them temporary invulnerability, it was too risky to try and stick around to fight Zouken while Caster and Saber were fighting Avenger, which drained their energy and made it highly likely that the invulnerability would disappear without warning mid-battle, ending with them being overwhelmed and torn to pieces by the insects. For now, it was better to beat a hasty retreat. </p><p>That didn’t mean the enchantments weren’t useful though. With superhuman speed, the two of them were able to outrun the land-bound insects, while the few flying ones that were able to catch up to them failed to penetrate the invisible barrier, the stingers crumpling against what felt like solid titanium as they fell back in pain from the broken stingers. </p><p>Still, they as humans had their limit, and running down had taken some effort already, so Shirou was starting to feel his legs start to burn, his heart beating at an ever-increasing rate, and the familiars chasing after him did nothing to calm him down. At least with Kuzuki running in front of him, he had something to focus on, and he put more strength into his foot, doing his best to avoid the sprawling roots stretched across the ground as he half-jumped, half-ran across the rugged forest grounds. </p><p>The moment they passed through the great barrier erected around the mountain, a cool chill washed over their skin even though they were wearing clothes, like being doused in cold water naked. The effect wasn’t very noticeable near the entrance of the temple, but elsewhere anyone with the slightest potential to be a magus could easily tell where the barrier was by passing through it. It was primarily in place to keep out spiritual entities, or so they were told, so humans and magi could pass through without problem. Still, the two of them didn’t slow down their pace as they rushed through, only slowing to a walk when the temple buildings came into sight. </p><p>“Was it alright to escape like that?”</p><p>Shirou looked back at the forest behind them, the shadows seeming much more threatening now, with the shifting black patterns of the leaves looking almost alive after what he had just seen. </p><p>“Something like that would most likely be blocked by the barrier. It is no longer human after all.”</p><p>His intuition was always sharp, and he was right on the money this time as well. Or perhaps it was simply the ability to recognize inhuman beings after being one himself in the past, an empty body with nothing inside. Whichever the case, he knew there was no way Zouken could get past it right now. Instead, they were better off going to assist Saber and Caster, though it seemed counter-intuitive, but they would actually be of more use against Avenger and any other Servants than against Matou Zouken. </p><p>“Let’s go help Saber and Caster then.”</p><p>Before Kuzuki had even voiced his thoughts, Shirou was already moving, breaking out into a run once more even though he had just ran up and down a decently sized mountain, the upwards ascent with an extra source of motivation to make it more exhausting as well. </p><p>Kuzuki stared for a moment as Shirou raced to the front of the temple, then he moved as well, quickly catching up to him in a few steps. </p><p>High-pitched whine split the air, and Shirou jumped on reflex, throwing himself at the ground with enough strength that he felt the air escape his lungs as his chest hit the dirt. And not a moment too soon, as a beam of yellow light struck the ground where he was standing, melting a hole with smooth edges from the intense heat. </p><p>Kuzuki dodged more gracefully, pivoting on one foot and then swiveling on to the other as a continuous flurry of laser beams aimed fell from the skies, all of them splashing harmlessly into the soil. Meanwhile, Shirou scrambled to his feet and ran from left to right in a zig-zag pattern, haphazardly grazing past the projectiles as he raced for the perceived safety of the temple buildings where it would be harder to hit him line of sight. His clothes became burnt and singed as they shot past, but Caster’s barrier protected him from the worst of it, allowing him to survive with his body intact as Kuzuki pulled him into the doorway of the dojo, shutting the wooden door once he was in. </p><p>Far above, Assassin stared down in disappointment as she ceased the cannonfire, looking down at the temple from far above.</p><p>They’re pretty quick on their feet, guess they aren’t that bad as Masters.</p><p>Sensing the disturbance at an instinctual level, she had left her Master’s side and ventured out by herself to investigate, her senses tingling as she felt waves of conflict in the Saber Force. </p><p>Initially she had been expecting to simply wipe out two Servants out of the War in one fell swoop to save her Master a lot of trouble, but it seemed like she was unable to remove them from the equation. She was called Assassin, but she couldn’t even assassinate the weakest Master’s out of the seven that she’d seen so far. Shifting gears, she just decided to blame it on her current condition. She was still recovering after all, so it made sense that she couldn’t bring to bear her full strength. Still, from her point of view it looked like some of them had actually hit them, but they hadn’t slowed down at all. Was there something else at play here? Looking at the building they had escaped into, she briefly debated whether she should just shoot up the entire building, then decided against it. It would be troublesome if she had to clean up later, and though she personally didn’t really care if bystanders got caught, it would be difficult to explain to her Master how she massacred an entire temple of monks in one night. Or that was what she told herself.</p><p>Shifting her gaze from the temple mess hall, she looked at the courtyard where the fights were still raging. Flashes of brilliant light up the entire place, glowing to the heavens intermittently like a lighthouse beacon, with bits of colorful orbs, blurry green streaks that leapt around the place and magical golden bullets flying everywhere, with the occasional large scale explosion of flames, holy light and other flashy, destructive energies. In the midst of it all, a dark figure spun through the throes of a hell of spells, shrugging of that which could be endured, getting the hell out the way when she couldn’t, and still somehow getting close enough to Caster to attack even when said target was teleporting like a whack-a-mole mole in all the confusion. </p><p>For a second, Assassin couldn’t help but shake her head in admiration at Avenger’s pure ability and skill, combined with finely honed instincts and reflexes that staved off most of the damage and allowed her to track down Caster when by all rights she should have been backed into a corner from the sheer amount of firepower directed at her. The temple grounds were almost untouched, but the portals that absorbed all the projectiles were redirecting them at Avenger, with none of them disappearing as the volume of occupied space just kept on increasing as time went on, making it increasingly difficult. Yet Avenger made it look easy, making movements so fast and agile they were almost undetectable to Assassin’s eyes, several times in the span of a single breath. She didn’t escape unscathed, but the injuries were small enough to prove as no more than a scratch. </p><p>She was in fact, wearing down Caster despite the girl seemingly having the upper hand, and the magus was sweating bullets underneath her cap, slowly being backed into a corner even while attacking ferociously with as much power as she could. She certainly had strong enough catalysts, and thus spells, that could decimate Avenger, but she just could not land a single one of them on Avenger, and what little that did hit only seemed to tickle the Servant. At most, they served as distractions while Caster escaped through a portal, and this game of running and playing catch was quickly eating away at Caster’s stamina, the energies she was channeling through herself from the leylines chewing away at her limits. She had actually been hit thrice already, but her invulnerability had saved her from being turned into paste, while the portals caught her from leaving the temple’s immediate area as Avenger sought to bodily bat her away from the ground and into the sky, using physical distance as a way to sever her connection. </p><p>Assassin was about to stretch a helping hand to Caster when she spotted the other two Servants in combat, just right outside the temple doors. </p><p>Huh…</p><p>Saber and..Ruler? Wasn’t she the one who had attacked their hideout before?</p><p>The blue rimmed portals hovering in the air tilted simultaneously on her command, and the stairs were blanketed with a rain of laser fire. Set on the lowest setting of course, and all tightly grouped to prevent a forest fire happening. </p><p>For Saber, it was like divine retribution from the heavens. One second she was struggling towards Ruler, the decaying Servant lurching backwards as Saber felt like she was pushing upwards through the Niagara Falls to reach her, the next brilliant blue beams of pulsing light blocked Ruler from sight, falling all around her as ozone filled the air. Instantly, Saber felt like a massive burden had been lifted off her shoulders, and she could move freely once more. Searching for the source of the sudden assistance, she found Assassin in the sky waving cheerfully at her, the ahoge above the baseball cap waving in tandem. </p><p>She had been expecting Caster, but any assistance was welcome. Still, would she turn out to be friend or foe? Steeling herself for a confrontation, she was about to yell up at the Servant when an explosion in the courtyard caught her attention. Turning her neck, she saw the light show of spells that was going, and the presence of Avenger wildly moving about while Caster blinked in and out of existence. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Assassin descending closer to the carnage, though she had yet to directly act. Deciding to put Assassin aside, she placed Caster as her first priority, leaping straight up in one bound to reach the courtyard, with no more Command Seals inhibiting her. </p><p>Avenger’s head snapped up just in time to see the shining golden blade descending on her face, and then a blast from Marmyadose engulfed her right side, Caster seizing the opportunity for a pincer attack in concert with Saber. </p><p>Letting a small grin creep on her mouth, Caster continued to focus a barrage of heavy duty spells as two beams of light poured forth from Galatine on the left and Marmyadose on the right, with Saber backing off after having forced Avenger to block and slowing her down enough for Caster to finally hit her with everything she had. After juking and jinking for so long while being unable to land a single meaningful hit, Caster couldn’t deny that it felt good to finally get Avenger. </p><p>She didn’t even realize it when a thin hole appeared on her left thigh, a clean circle through which one could see the white wall behind her encircling the temple. </p><p>Saber however, was in the right place to see a thin golden stream of light escape from the conflagration from the two sword catalysts aimed at Avenger, and before she could even register Caster was being attacked, the damage was already done. </p><p>Collapsing to one knee, she felt her muscles turn to jelly as she tried to summon the strength to stand up, but failed to do so. Unable to so much as stand up, she still maintained the waves of destructive energy overflowing from her spells, but in the moment that she was injured, her concentration wavered, weakening the spell and lowering the output of flames and ether. Leaning on her staff with both hands clinging onto it as she tried to channel mana, she watched as Avenger leapt out of the opposing beams, not unscathed, but still very much alive, and then dashed to Galatine first, grabbing it before almost teleporting to the other side next to Marmyadose, and doing the same to that sword. </p><p>The next thing Saber knew, she was under assault by a steaming, still on flames Avenger with each hand filled with a legendary sword on par with a decent Noble Phantasm, one radiating heat intense enough to melt through a vault door, the other covered in a sheath of glimmering golden light that promised an even surer death than the flames of Galatine. </p><p>With no other course of action, her instincts were triggered and brought Excalibur up horizontally, blocking both blades as Avenger swung both arms down like a gorilla hammering the ground. She vaguely felt her feet sink into the ground as her arms trembled, her teeth chattering with effort as she felt her muscles burn with the strain of colliding against Avenger’s prodigious strength, in no way diminished even after her extended fight with Caster and getting burnt by Galatine and Marmyadose. Even with patches of swelling red flesh and charred black armor, she was still going strong. </p><p>In addition, she could tell that the invulnerability protection from Around Avalon was fading already, given that Caster had already been hit by whatever Avenger had used to attack, and the same was probably true for Saber as well. If she took a solid blow from Avenger, it would be over for her in a flash. Letting a small growl in her throat, she pushed back against Avenger, the enchantments strengthening her yet to fade away though her invulnerability was gone. </p><p>The moment she did so however, she felt no give against her push, and a flicker of her eyes to Avenger told her why. The hilts of the swords were left bare, no longer clutched by Avenger as they spun into the sky from Saber’s push, rotating in perfect circles as they caught the moonlight and shimmered into golden dust, breaking apart into nothingness. </p><p>But Saber didn’t get the chance to see them disappear as she felt her sword violently wrenched out of her grasp in a second, her fingers pried apart with a vicious strength as she felt her fingers almost pop out of their sockets, even with the gauntlets she was wearing, and then her hands were empty. The momentum of ripping Excalibur also pulled her forward, and her eyes were filled with the sight of a scorched, bleeding fist that was rapidly growing in size. </p><p>A moment later, the entire world turned black, her body weightless as it flew out the temple gate, clearing the first three flights of stairs until gravity finally took hold long enough for her to land on the landing after the third flight of stairs, her body bouncing up and down like a rubber ball as she tumbled and rolled down the rest before finally sprawling to a stop near the last two steps right next to the tori gate at the foot of the mountain. Blood leaked profusely from her mangled face, the once captivating visage that had enraptured Shirou when he first summoned her now bruised beyond belief, her nose all but shattered from that heavy punch that had practically blown the lights out of her head to the four corners of the earth. All she could manage was a weak moan as she laid there slumped on the ground, her body struggling to rise to consciousness as her mind remained concussed. </p><p>Avenger though was prevented from giving chase to either Caster or Saber and ending their existences as a hail of shots from Assassin’s cannons slipped through the portals and rained down on the Servant, prompting the Servant to refocus on the new threat as she danced around the imprecise, but powerful cannonfire that was remodeling the now cratered and ruined temple courtyard. </p><p>This isn’t good…</p><p>Assassin chewed the insides of her mouth anxiously as she tried to tag Avenger with at least a close scrape, her eyes roaming from Caster, kneeling on the ground and panting, then to the distant figure of Saber, all the way down at the foot of the stairs crumpled and bloody. She had originally planned on eliminating them, but with the aberrant enemy in the form of Avenger and an enslaved Ruler appearing as the opponents, she had no choice but to designate them as higher-priority targets and work together with Caster and Saber. The balance of the Holy Grail War was one thing, but there was also the fact that Ruler had attacked them, and Avenger was also supposed to be her captive, which had been robbed from her by Lancer, or so she was told. Thus, she decided to suspend hostilities with the Servants based in Ryuudou Temple and engage the irregulars of the War with them. She hoped the Master’s stayed holed up wherever they were as well, to stay safe.</p><p>Yet they had been easily defeated in the blink of an eye, a turnaround that to be honest, she had kind of expected given Avenger’s capabilities, but she had never thought it would be so severe or sudden, with both Caster and Saber out of commission, leaving only her as the final opponent. Still, she had no plans to die tonight. </p><p>“Let’s see how much heat you can take.”</p><p>Thumbing the silver controller in her hands, she swiped across the touchscreen and pressed a few buttons. </p><p>“Variant fire authorized. Full automatic mode engaged.”</p><p>A flat, mechanized voice issued from the speaker hidden behind the controller, and a whir seemed to sound from the portals as the cannonfire eased completely, the courtyard going silent as Avenger stared up at Assassin. Caster had taken the distraction from Assassin earlier to teleport away through the shadows, transporting Saber’s broken body with Carnwennan as well and relocating to a safer destination where they could stay out of the line of fire. From there, Caster kept tabs on the situation through small pools of shadows centered around Carnwennan, the shadow daggers acting as cameras that showed her what was happening from various angles. </p><p>Avenger, either getting impatient or simply unafraid of the cannons, directly jumped straight up at Assassin, with both Excalibur and Clarent in her hands. While the swords stolen from Caster had been recalled by their Master, Saber had yet to do the same, and so Avenger was able to utilize it as a weapon. A blast of wind scattered rubble in the courtyard as Avenger took one great leap that sent her rocketing on a collision course towards Assassin, a clear intent of hostility etched on the visible half of her face, the melted helmet exposing enough to see one side of her scowl and a slitted right eye glaring intensely at Assassin. </p><p>She had barely gotten halfway though, when a multitude of shots converged on her through the portals that housed Assassin’s cannons. In the blink of an eye, the special rounds that Assassin had installed during her time upgrading the Dun Stallion came into use, a variety of shots that basically covered everything from organic material to plasma blasts. </p><p>A ferromagnetic slug sent through several hissing, spitting coils of magnets went shrieking through the air like a banshee, becoming the first projectile to reach Avenger. With a whirl, the Servant parried the piece of metal that was travelling faster than the speed of sound, but just making it scrape past her was enough to slow her down. The winds that accompanied the projectile fiercely tugged on her body, greatly lessening her momentum, and the supersonic bullet itself smashed into the temple courtyard with a resounding bang that shook the tiles, boring deeply into the earth and into the foundation of the temple before coming to a stop. </p><p>A dizzying array of bullets arrived, pelting Avenger with every conceivable harmful substance. A vibrating ring of pure air struck the Servant, narrowly missing her right leg as the twisted to dodge the sonic orb, then she folded her body inwards as several green balls of plasma passed overhead, slowly moving relative to the other bullets. Hearing the flesh on her arm hiss, she flicked her hand, sending a stream of boiling red liquid to the side that splashed into the ground and ate away at the tiles, creating a shallow pool of steaming acid. Several brown, puffy balls speckled with uneven holes exploded in a cloud of brown spores in front of her, prompting to activate Excalibur and slash with a fountain of pure energy that created a large enough hole for her to pass through unharmed, then she leaned to the left and narrowly avoided a stun net from the right, the opaque web crackling with high voltages and adorned with hooks coated in drugs powerful enough to knock out a herd of elephants. </p><p>Then several beams of solid light coursed through the air, half of them curving while the other half remained straight, and this time Avenger released a blast of golden light from Excalibur while crimson energy was expelled from Clarent like a jet, similar to what Assassin had done before to fly while she was alive in her own galaxy. Heading straight for the beams, they blocked the rest of the projectiles as she dove between them, using them as cover while simultaneously avoiding being fried by a hair in the middle of the deadly light show. A few seconds of playing hide-and-seek in the pillars ensued, before she rushed out ahead of a cloud of metal flechettes, barrel-rolling over a several bolts of electricity and then diving under a transparent ray of violet that seemed to harmlessly shine on the ground. </p><p>Assassin rose higher in the air as Avenger gave chase, releasing more and more projectiles from the eight portals that were churning out death faster than an Olympic sprinter on steroids running on ice. </p><p>Spears, harpoons, arrows, swords, bullets, spheres and a whole host of physical bullets were deflected, parried, dodged or used as leverage to move three-dimensionally as Avenger flawlessly traveled a path through the downpour of ammunition without getting hit once. She did get the occasional close call or scrape, but considering the frequency and density of the cannonfire, she was doing amazingly well. </p><p>As she got closer, the projectiles became harder to avoid as well. It wasn’t clear whether it was because Assassin was controlling them manually, or if there was some program or AI on the Dun Stallion that dictated the patterns and ammunition types, but whatever the case, the cannons were becoming harder and harder to escape unscathed. </p><p>Red and orange filled the sky as flaming streams of liquid cut large swathes of fire in the skies, crisscrossing and cutting off paths of escape for Avenger as they interposed themselves between her and her quarry. A flock of birds, yes, a flock of actual living birds soared forth from the portal and swarmed Avenger, with only her spamming energy blasts from the two swords and spinning like a top to constantly cut allowing her to decimate the suicidal beasts until they were little more but minced meat and feathers, while she remained mostly unharmed on the whole, though one of them had managed to get close enough to start chewing and tearing at her body, until she had ripped if free of her body, it’s talons taking a good chunk of flesh from her hip before she smashed it’s head in on her sword. </p><p>As she was doing so, she was already maneuvering to slide out of the way of rapidly expanding network of chains that seemed to blanket the sky above her, sporting barbed hooks and spikes that looked more suited to a medieval torture device than the net like structure the chains were making. She had no idea how Assassin made her cannon’s shoot something like that, or if they were even cannons at this point if they could shoot something like this. Still, there was no question that they posed a threat to her, and she performed a slash to cut through the chains, the links melting and falling apart to grant her a hole to squeeze through. A number of paper talismans on the chains reacted immediately, glowing white before exploding, with Avenger emerged singed but whole.</p><p>Then a whole host of bright flashes covered the sky, sending Avenger’s eyes into a stupefying blindness as she felt her eardrums shake violently from overlapping drums that shook her entire body, forcing her to keep her teeth clenched before she accidentally bit her tongue. A second later, a noxious smell entered her nostrils, forcing her to stop her breath as she swallowed the urge to vomit, the taste of something bitter, sour, sweet and absolutely nasty on her tongue, burning away all memories of food. As the cherry on the top, her skin felt like it was itching madly as the muscles in her body became incredibly strained, like buckets of lactic acid was dumped into them. </p><p>Assassin surveyed her handiwork through the forcefields that protected her body, the multi-pronged sensory assault she had sprung on Avenger actually turning out to be effective, to her surprise. After seeing Avenger plow through everything else like chaff, she had little expectations for the parlour trick level of flashbangs, tear gas (except it was using ingredients unique to her galaxy), a variety of infrared waves that were surely making Avenger’s skin crawl in discomfort and a handle of other nasty stuff that would certainly make a Servant suffer, but was far from enough to kill them. Perhaps it was the deadly ordnance that had been constantly bombarding Avenger, making her senses dulled to non-fatal attacks, but whatever the case, the relatively benign non-lethal shots had made it through her defenses and were wreaking havoc on her body. </p><p>Not one to waste such an opportunity, Assassin unleashed a salvo of proton missiles through the portals, emptying her weapons bay in the Dun Stallion as clusters of small heat-seeking missiles, long and sleek silver tubes, thin needle-like black darts and several more rocket-propelled artillery were unloaded from the portals one after another, dogpiling explosion after explosion on Avenger’s thrashing body in the air, still in the throes of sensory numbness from being overloaded. </p><p>The trees rustled from the rush of air that vacated the area as the explosions pushed aside the molecules, dull vibrations shaking the temple itself even though the missiles were a mile from the ground. In some cases, the sound came in two stages as the explosive within the payload were separated into different compartments, modifying the method of release and creating a cacophony of ear splitting thunder and roaring which made Shirou cover his ears on instinct, though Kuzuki only stared up at the source of the sound through the roof of the building they were hiding in. </p><p>The barrage only lasted less than half a minute as the Dun Stallion’s stocks of deadly goodies were exhausted, everything being discharged through the portals flanking either side of Assassin. In the space of that time period, enough firepower to level the mountain and the surroundings were sent flying at Avenger, turning the sky into a riot of color as explosions overlapped one each other, a colorful display of orbs not far from fireworks, with orange, red, green, blue and the colors of the rainbow bunched together a strange cluster of irregular shapes formed by the expelled energy. </p><p>This was one of the trump cards Assassin had been holding up her sleeve this entire time, which she had planned to reserve only in dire emergencies, but since this was Avenger they were facing, she decided to pull it out and level it against the Servant. It consumed practically none of her mana besides keeping the portals open, since it was all stored on the Dun Stallion, and the absolutely massive stocks of wildly varying ammunition meant that she had a counter for basically everything short of absolute defenses on the level of Noble Phantasms. However, the programs and the way the system on her ship was structured meant that it was really only a single-use trump card, shooting everything at once until the chamber went empty, and then that would be it. She was unable to replenish anything since she couldn’t summon the Dun Stallion itself, and would be back to using the standard laser blasts from the cannons. </p><p>Still, the accumulated amount of destructive power it packed was near, if not on, the level of a medium to lower tier Noble Phantasm, and it had many projectiles that could serve to bind the enemy, constrict them, stun them and incapacitate, or break open fortresses if she desired it. It was a one-use multi tool for many combat scenarios, a gimmick that she had installed way back when she first acquired the ship, hoping to create some ultimate bombardment that would simultaneously be a tremendously strong attack while showing a grand spectacle fitting of such a large display of firepower, against a single human-sized target. She had collected many things to shoot over the course of her adventures, and it was a testament to the volume that it had managed to shoot for nearly ten minutes even with the rate of fire that was about as fast as a modern machine gun.</p><p>And all she had to do was press a few buttons on the control key in her hand. </p><p>Letting out a small sigh of satisfaction after the display, she floated a bit closer as the particles of the explosions dispersed in the air, large clouds of hanging dots drifting to the ground as dust and ether. The portals at her side shrank, and then disappeared from reality as she called off the cannons, the guns overheating to the point of glowing after sustaining an intense rate of fire with wildly different projectiles for such a long time, expending energy to accomodate for each unique shot.</p><p>The circular blue platforms under her feet flickered out of view as her body surrendered to gravity, sending her dropping with added velocity until she was on the edge of where the explosions had occurred, the scent of gunpowder, smoke and metal still lingering even with the rush of air that had filled in the vacuum the explosions caused, creating a great rush of wind that gusted through the empty space.</p><p>Footholds solidified under her and braked her instantly, her knees absorbing the shock like it was nothing. Surveying the area with her eyes, she tried to spot where the remains of Avenger were. Even with the level of attacks she had been hit with, she expected there to be at least a husk left from the Servant, given that hardiness of the Servant’s body that she had experienced for herself during their fight.</p><p>“?”</p><p>A moment later, she found the ground hurtling up to her face much faster than expected, distinct crack shaking her entire body, originating from the middle of her spine as an electric jolt spasmed its way to the innermost part of her nerves. </p><p>Fu-</p><p>Avenger plunged down and stabbed Clarent until the guard was level with the ground, but Assassin was already gone, shifted into spirit form on pure instinct the moment her guard had been broken through. Though her body was paralyzed after Avenger smashed through the forcefield and her jagged blade bit into her spine, severing the links of her nervous system, turning into spirit form used none of those pseudo-bodily systems a Servant came with, and she managed to escape defeat by a hair. </p><p>Still, never in her wildest imaginations had Assassin expected Avenger to come through with enough strength to not only continue moving, but attack as well. In spirit form, she stared at the Servant as she nursed her wound, her spiritual body beginning the long process of mending. She was still recovering from the battles in the original base, and this injury was going to lengthen the time she spent cooped up in the spiritual plane.</p><p>On the other hand, Avenger was in a much, much worse condition than Assassin, Caster or Saber. </p><p>Slouched over limply like a zombie, her right arm hung loosely from her shoulder, connected by two thin strips of flesh to her left shoulder that was missing a chunk from the trapezius muscle, creating an asymmetrical view with her right shoulder. Her right shoulder wasn’t much better off either, sporting charred skin, exposed red muscles fibers oozing pus, blood and sticky ichor that clung to the charred black bits. A few holes were visible on her body, the most prominent one going straight through her right lung, around the size of a dollar, with unidentifiable pink and red bits hanging within the hole that blocked the view of the other side. With every breath she took, one could distinctly hear the squishing sounds of her organs shifting inside, some in the wrong places, others with far more space after the surroundings were destroyed. Her right leg, going from the hip to foot, had a long and deep gash cutting all the way to the bone, and it felt like the skin wrapped around her foot could be peeled off with the gap. A few toes and fingers had gone missing, though that didn’t stop her from making a fist with her left hand, the only usable hand clutching Clarent, and one eye was shut, the eyelids caked with grime, blood and dust. There was barely any skin left untouched, with crusty blood and yellow fat beneath the skin visible, with some places outright bleached from the heat of the explosions. Assassin would have laughed if it was any other day, seeing that Avenger was basically bald as well, but right now it was an eerie sight that made her swallow in her spiritual form. </p><p>For a while, Avenger just stood there, dead to the world. The birds had all left the trees around Ryuudou Temple at the start of the battle, leaving only the wind that carried the dust and grains of stone tiles that were pulverized from numerous craters. The faint sound of rock scraping against rock could be heard, and then in the distance the sound of a car horn drifted over to the temple, a reminder of the mundane life occurring outside the temple boundaries. Standing alone in the courtyard, Avenger became a grotesque statue of the macabre, crimson blood dotting the floor around her as it left her body from the many lacerations and perforations decorating her skin. </p><p>Her solitude was broken when the temple doors leading to the courtyard, miraculously untouched throughout the entire duration of the commotion, slid open, revealing two individuals standing at the doorway. One was wearing glasses, sporting a cleanly pressed suit that had few wrinkles or creases, even after running through the forest. The other was clad in a white and black sports jacket, the sleeves dark while the main body from the neck to waist was a pure white reflecting brightly in the night. They both seemed tense, but were was tense in a focused manner, his eyes behind the glass lens darting from place to place while scanning Avenger and the surroundings, the other was blinking while keeping his focus wholly on the silent figure standing there, his pupils widening in shock as he registered the condition she was in. </p><p>Grimacing on reflex, Shirou lowered his bokuto slightly at the sight of the enemy they were supposed to fight wounded until all she could do was stand there without fainting, the tip of his sword wavering in his hands. Did they really have to fight her like that?</p><p>The wavering stopped the instant Avenger turned her head, the muscles slowly tugging her head to face the two Masters who had decided to show up at her weakest. With her left eye shut firmly, there was only the right eye visible to them, but it was enough to send a shiver down Shirou’s spine, though Kuzuki was unaffected by it, or if he was, he didn’t show it. A deeper basil green iris, similar to Saber’s own, locked onto Shirou, a crystal-clear clarity contained in that one pupil. No pain, agony or confusion muddied the look in her eye, and without meaning to Kuzuki had raised his hands by himself, his body reacting to the threat he sensed in front of him. </p><p>Both sides gazed at each other, locked in place like in a Mexican stand-off. One was severely injured to the point of dying, yet her eye betrayed hidden strength that was still residing within her mind, if not her body. The other were two healthy humans that had yet to engage in serious combat the entire night, but they were humans, and facing off against one of the strongest Servants in the War. While she might not have wielded city-destroying Noble Phantasms like the rest, she was definitely strong enough to defeat three Servants in a row, and still remain standing after taking a beating. </p><p>Even with her bruised and battered body with limbs on the verge of being detached, Kuzuki could sense the danger they were in, if Avenger’s laser sharp focus wasn’t enough warning. </p><p>Still, Caster was right. There was probably no better opportunity than this. They had her back against the wall right now, and she was definitely running on fumes after suffering  heavy injuries from Assassin’s tricks and sustained bombardment. Caster couldn’t imagine her continuing any longer in such a state, and with her supporting the two Masters, they just might be a match for Avenger in her current state, or at least that was what she thought. It was risky, but she couldn’t imagine Avenger lasting much longer. </p><p>She was quickly proven wrong when Avenger initiated the fight of her own will, dragging one useless foot through the tiles to reach Kuzuki. </p><p>Leaning to the side, Kuzuki’s entire right side became as stiff as a board while his left leg left the ground under his body, going far to the left to counter balance as he ducked beneath the ambitious swipe of Avenger’s sword, the steel sailing through the air above his cheek as he used the leaning momentum to pivot, switching to his right to center his mass once the sword was gone, his left palm coming up for a swift strike against her hip, targeting a particularly nasty looking chunk of flesh that was burnt thoroughly black. </p><p>Shirou on the other hand, barely had enough time to throw himself backwards as the tip of the sword missed his jugular, cutting beneath his chin and then smashing through the paper screens on the side. Feeling a shock run up his rear as he landed, he pushed himself into action once he saw Kuzuki smoothly going on the offensive after what seemed to be an effortless dodge, standing up and swinging the reinforced bokuto at Avenger’s head in a textbook downwards slash from above the head. His right foot slid forward, carrying his palm forward with added force as he watched Avenger shifting on one foot, her balance he precariously close to crumbling as she bunny hopped away, her shoulder going through the paper screen as she tried to lean on it, crashing through the paper wall and ending up on her side, half of her body within the building while from the waist down she was outside. It was awkward, but she still avoided a crippling blow from Kuzuki, and his fist passed through empty air. </p><p>Curving in midair, he retracted his hand and sent his other hand forward in a fist, his legs moving in sync as he moved in Avenger’s direction, the fist this time much faster than the first. Shirou had stopped his strike as well half-way when Avenger had stumbled away and crashed through the wall, attacking from within the building and aiming for her upper body that was stuck between the wall. With an attack on both sides, Avenger twisted her bruised body, ignoring the pain that came merely with rubbing her exposed skin against the floor, her arm coming up in a sluggish swing against Shirou, Clarent travelling in slow motion when compared with her speed during the fight against Caster or Assassin. </p><p>Nevertheless, the ‘sluggish’ blow was for Shirou so fast his eyes struggled to keep up. Only the training from Saber kept him from having his front split into two as he angled the bokuto to parry from below, resulting in a weaker grip as he did it from an unfamiliar angle, while his foot stopped him in place and pushed him backwards. A gray blur passed in front of his face, a slight breeze caressing his face for an instant. He felt the bokuto shake, and then it suddenly felt lighter as Clarent cleaved through the wooden sword easily, his parrying skill insufficient, the wood weak against an actual sword. Following the momentum of his backstep, he put a few meters of distance between himself and Avenger before she swung at him again, and he heard the sound of reverberating blows outside the screen, the shadow of Kuzuki moving rapidly on the screen doors. </p><p>Outside, Kuzuki weaved his punches through a flurry of kicks. Weakened though she might have been, the kicks were still enough to break his arm if they landed, and without Caster’s invulnerability protecting him, he was vigilant against any strikes. Fortunately, her sight was blocked by the screen walls she had crashed through, so while her legs were fast, they were operating purely on instinct, making them easy to dodge. Her speed was also far from what it once was, making him able to react and counter accordingly. Avenger could feel it too, and focused her efforts on getting out of there as soon as possible. Ignoring Shirou, she used Clarent to cut apart the screen door, tearing off a large swath out of it as paper and wooden splinters flew at Kuzuki, him raising his arm to shield his face from the debris. </p><p>A moment later, he clapped his hands together above his head with all his strength. But instead of a resounding clap, the dull thump of flesh against metal was heard. </p><p>Shirou peered through the hole in the wall, and he was met with the sight of Kuzuki’s body trembling as his hands raised above his head trapped Clarent between his palms, the only thing that was keeping it from splitting his head. The catching of the sword was done in the nick of time, but from what Shirou could see, it looked like Avenger still had more strength than Kuzuki even when using one hand and her body battered to hell and back. Slowly, the blade was descending, inch by inch, as Kuzuki’s arms bent as he strived to slow it’s progress. </p><p>“Hah!”</p><p>Letting out a spirited shout, Shirou focused his strength and attacked Avenger from behind, bringing down the remaining length of the bokuto on the Servant as he put his strength into a fully committed strike on her head. His strength augmented by Caster’s enchantments could prove to be just enough to harm her, and he could end the battle while saving Kuzuki in one stroke. </p><p>Of course, it wasn’t that easy though. Without even looking behind, Avenger twisted her body and sent her injured leg kicking backwards, a log that impacted Shirou in the stomach and made spit fly out of his mouth as he flew back a few meters to crash through the paper screen walls, his stomach roiling in pain and discomfort as he felt bile rise from the back of his throat.</p><p>For Kuzuki though, Avenger’s balance was broken as she shifted her leg to defend against Shirou. Seizing the chance, he threw Clarent to the side at the same time she kicked, the sword dragged by her momentum and going to the side. Though he was bleeding on his forearm from the sword nicking him, it was a much better alternative than having his head split, and with great speed he lashed out with a kick towards her knee, aimed at destroying her sole pillar of balance and mobility. </p><p>The pain throughout her body made it difficult, and her leg felt like it couldn’t take any more with both the insides and the outsides wailing in distress, the skin scored with gashes and burns, the muscles cramped and sore. Still, she forced herself to jump while favouring that one leg, her body going up in the air as she cleared the roof of the temple. In an instant, she disappeared from in front of Kuzuki, dodging the kick that could have taken out her one good leg and ended it there. </p><p>Before Kuzuki could jump up and give chase, an arrow flew through the air and struck Avenger’s back, lodging in her shoulder blades and staying there. </p><p>Shirou lowered the bow he had just traced, pushing down the queasiness he felt from his stomach as he traced another arrow to fire at Avenger. He had been aiming for her leg, but it had missed and went into her back as her body twisted in the air. </p><p>The second arrow met a different fate as Avenger was aware of the danger now, her sword clashing with the arrow and sending it spinning off into the forest, but Shirou was already nocking another one and loosing it as he got into a rhythm, the slender sticks flying up one after another as they chased her, hot on her heels. However, she quickly faded out of sight as she fell to the ground, landing on top of the roof on the temple. Her jump had been angled so that she would land there, and once her feet touched the shingled roof, she sank below the ridge in the middle of the roof, disappearing behind the large eaves that hung outward. They heard the clatter of tiles as she moved, the sound fading away as she increased the distance between them. </p><p>Of course, the two of them gave chase, with Kuzuki already jumping up on the roof the moment it became obvious where she was going to land. She wasn’t hard to find as he spotted her half-jogging, half-limping as she forced herself to move, the tiles clicking beneath her feet as she ran to the point of the roof where it stopped at the inner courtyard. Turning around, she faced Kuzuki as he caught up to her, her teeth bared in a snarl. Her body skidded across the slate shingles, coming to a stop roughly as she dug her left leg into the roof, crushing the roof as pieces of the tiles broke off and fell to the ground. </p><p>In contrast, Kuzuki remained surefooted as he lightly stepped on top of the roof, his leather shoes making only the slightest of sounds as he skipped on top of it, reaching Avenger in a heartbeat. Instead of throwing himself at her at the first chance, he assumed a stance and waited for her to come to him. And she gladly obliged. </p><p>Swinging Clarent recklessly with her left hand, she literally smashed it into the central ridge where both sides of the roof met, creating a gaping hole in the architecture. It missed Kuzuki though, but she quickly swung once, twice, then thrice, going diagonally from side to side as she made horizontal slashes that failed to connect with Kuzuki in spite of their speed. With her current form, her moves were easily telegraphed to Kuzuki, the rise of her shoulder, the bracing of weight on her left leg, the slight twist of her hips. It allowed him to pre-dodge by half a second, making it look like she was getting cleanly and effortlessly dodged. </p><p>The roof though, was getting steadily tattered and torn, with Kuzuki unable to advance due to the lack of footing. With the ground around him getting steadily reduced, he was forced to shift into awkward positions to stand in, crossing his legs, standing on only one or performing handstands. At the same time though, he performed sneaking counter attacks that wove through her attacks and impacted on her body as clean hits. While she may have been using offense as defense, as of now her body was unable to completely move in time with her thoughts, creating gaps in her offense that he could exploit while dodging, his snake-like fists folding around her sword and then making a beeline for her body. To a casual observer, as his fists changed direction in odd ways, it looked like a black snake with a white head twisting in spirals, a blur that could only be clearly seen by a Servant and other superhumans. In a matter of seconds, her elbow, her wrist and her left thigh was struck one after another, jolting her grip and footing. </p><p>Then the roof collapsed under her, the damage done by her rash strikes and her weight becoming too much for the scant few beams and wooden supports left. It was in fact, coincidentally in time with Kuzuki’s palm that was about to make contact with her face, the hard bone in his lower palm ready to snap back her head. As it were, her head was grazed by the wind from his palm as she fell, with him quickly retracting it and following her down. </p><p>Before her back even reached the stone paving the floor of the corridor, her sword was automatically reaching out, the tip piercing the air towards the chest of the red-haired boy who had been standing below, hoping to get a clear shot on her. The broken shard of steel produced a harsh scrape with the arrowhead as the two collided, the arrow driven of course while Shirou put more arrows on the bow string, releasing them one at a time in a slow, but accurate pulls and releases as his breathing synchronized, forcing Avenger to defend every time as they targeted the vulnerable parts of her body, the knees, the joints, the neck, the head. It wasn’t like the arrows had enough power behind them to kill her, but they would prove to be a great hindrance if they landed on her body, and she could barely dodge, not because of lack of energy, but due to the fact that her muscles were so torn in some places that moving her body in the right manner just wasn’t possible. </p><p>Forced to fend off the arrows with her sword, she sent a powerful upward slash as Kuzuki jumped down. A thin line of frayed thread appeared on the inner thigh of his pants as the jagged sword grazed past, his legs stepping on a pillar and using it as leverage to stop his downward momentum while kicking himself to the side, avoiding the slash with room to spare after the graze. His eyes flickered to the side, noticing Shirou firing on Avenger, then he turned his attention back to her. </p><p>At this point, he could tell that she was indeed severely weakened. After fighting Caster and Saber, she had seemed fine, but it was most likely a bluff she had presented. He could see from her rough breathing and trembling that she wasn’t merely just hurt, but also tired. Fighting two Servants had drained her more than she’d admit, and when Assassin joined the fight as well, one misstep had sent her sense haywire, allowing Assassin to deal a crippling blow to Avenger. While she was somehow not dead, likely thanks to her armor and probably personal skills of hers, she was already teetering on the brink, and one solid push would probably put her out of commission. Already, the right arm looked dangerously close to detaching at any moment, with the right leg looking quite limp in contrast with the rigid left leg where all of her weight was currently focused on. </p><p>Shirou paused as he put the arrow to the bowstring, observing Kuzuki move. His face didn’t change in the slightest, and there wasn’t any special aura or atmosphere that he was giving off either. Rather, it was just empty, a lack of and tells to pick up on, or intent to read off of. He had already gained a measure of Avenger’s abilities, and the fight had dragged on long enough. It was time to end this.</p><p>Become empty, so that the target is never aware of the killing blow until it reaches them. </p><p>With blank eyes that seemed focused on everything at once, he struck. </p><p>There wasn’t a hint of blood that flew as the flesh tore cleanly, her body already drained to the point of being unable to bleed. </p><p>A backhand swing to the sternum. A knifing palm to the crook of her elbow. A crushing kick to the knee. </p><p>The sword flew, lazily circling in the air as it traced an arc, landing upright in the sandy courtyard. The arm still attached to it refused to relinquish its grip on the handle, even after being separated from its owner. But it was only for a moment, and then the fingers loosened, the muscles no longer taut as the nerves failed to receive any signals. With a slight flop, the arm fell to the ground, leaving the sword to stand alone, embedded in the ground. </p><p>The owner of the detached arm knelt on the ground, her legs unable to take the strain anymore. More than just her kneecap being shattered, her body was unable to take the injuries added on top of the mountain of damage it had already sustained, and she collapsed. With one arm gone and another hanging by a thread, a leg unresponsive and the other with muscles severed, all she could do was wait. </p><p>Kuzuki stared down at her, flicking his hands to the side as the flesh and blood slid off, leaving his hands clean once more. Behind him, Shirou lowered the bow in his hands, letting it fade away as the mana that had taken shape in his hands returned to nothing. </p><p>Is it over?</p><p>The question was in Shirou’s mind, as he looked at the armless body of Avenger, leaning against a pillar as one eyelid fluttered, the only sign of her being alive. The memories of the flaming corpses were always fresh in Shirou’s mind no matter how many years had passed, and right now, Avenger didn’t look too far off from them. Without knowing it, he released the breath he had been holding up until now, his shoulders slumping with the released tension that had been keeping him pumped with adrenaline. Avenger may have been weakened, but she was still a foe that couldn’t be taken lightly. Kuzuki acting as the vanguard placed him in a far more dangerous position, but Shirou wasn’t entirely safe either. He inwardly reprimanded himself for feeling nervous, when Kuzuki was clearly in the more risky position. </p><p>You succeeded?</p><p>Caster’s voice rang in Kuzuki’s head, the diminishing of Avenger’s spiritual signature sensed by the wounded Servant. </p><p>Truth be told, she was quite nervous when Kuzuki suggested that he and Shirou confront Avenger together, even after Assassin landed a good number of hits on her and reduced her fighting strength. She had diverted the rest of her remaining strength into reinforcing the two of them, using the leylines potential. She herself may not have the blood of dragons, a curiosity among Artoria’s, but she could always tap into the leylines and substitute it for a Magic Core, and her magecraft allowed her to funnel it to fundamentally strengthen the two Masters. It might not have been on the level of a certain Greek Caster’s reinforcement, but it was strong in ways that the so-called witch’s magic could never be. </p><p>She was glad though, that the hidden strengths of her enchantments weren’t put to test, judging from Kuzuki’s calm reply, without a hint of weakness. </p><p>Yes. How should we deal with her?</p><p>While keeping his eyes on her form, vigilantly watching against a sudden recovery or counter attack, he relayed Avenger’s condition and asked for her assessment on how to handle the Servant. This was out of his expertise, the rules of the Holy Grail War, but he trusted Caster to know what to do. </p><p>While Caster relayed the instructions to Kuzuki, unnoticed by the two Masters, a hideous bug with a wickedly sharp stinger and slender wings hovered in the air, far above the hole that Kuzuki and Avenger had made in their fight. In it’s segmented gray legs, a bloated white worm hung in between, sandwiched securely as it’s cargo. With an unceremonious spread of it’s spindly legs, the bug released the worm, the familiar plummeting to the ground at high speeds, passing through the broken roof of the corridor, and landing on the nape of Avenger’s neck. </p><p>It was impossible for Kuzuki not to notice, but even with his inhuman reflexes and augmented speed, it was already too late. His hand was accelerating, cutting the air to create a vortex of wind, but the worm was already slipping through the gaping wounds on Avenger’s skin and getting deep inside her spine, the cervical spine it’s ultimate target. It had aimed for a hole as it descended, and it lodged itself spot on, only requiring a short instance of wriggling before it entered her body. Kuzuki’s finger grazed the stubby tail of the worm, actually giving it force to push inside, and then all that was left was the slime coating it’s skin on Kuzuki’s fingertips. </p><p>Avenger didn’t stay motionless either. Once the worm got in, her blood-caked mouth opened in a soundless scream as she collapsed on her side, her body twitching and shuddering, before progressing onwards to violent spasms. What little blood she had left was squeezed out like a sponge as her muscles expanded and contracted at random, the bloody stump where her left arm should have been smearing the ground with crimson. Kicking her legs, Avenger rolled around on the ground like a child throwing a fit, red froth starting to accumulate at her mouth. </p><p>Kuzuki backed away, Caster urgently shouted at him to stay alert and back off. Similarly, Shirou, who had been sitting on the ground a moment ago to relax his body, shot to his feet and projected a bow and arrow, ready to cover Kuzuki if anything happened. </p><p>For a few nerve-wracking seconds, Avenger’s body flailed under the possession, the erratic sound of flesh smacking against stone crisp and clear to the two Masters as she kicked and rolled. A series of grunts and guttural moans issued from her damaged throat, then a keening moan that steadily rose in pitch, stabbing into their ears. </p><p>Destroy her Saint Graph!</p><p>Caster’s words came in loud and clear in his mind despite the shriek stuffing his ears, and he acted without hesitation. Taking a one step forward, he knelt and plunged his fist downward. In one swift and precise movement, like a jeweller cutting a diamond, his hand passed through her chest, using just the right amount of force that the tip of his knuckles only kissed the stone tiles beneath her. </p><p>The violent spasms stopped almost instantly. Instead of kicking and flailing, she was instead only twitching, and even that was dying down too. Keeping his fist within her, Kuzuki watched as her struggles faded, her movements growing less and less pronounced until she was still, finally resembling the corpse that she should have become long ago in her state. Golden sparks, miniscule globes of light that floated like moths, started appearing from her body, the tell-tale signs of a Servant vanishing from the material plane. Kuzuki removed his hand from her body, seeing that the job was done. </p><p>Then to their utter shock, the body split in two. </p><p>As he pulled out his fist, what looked like a translucent image of Avenger’s body came with it, seperating from the disintegrating physical husk. It had no weight or substance, but it clung to Kuzuki’s fist all the same, his movements dragging out a copy from Avenger’s original body.</p><p>They were left with two copies of Avenger, one transparent and shimmering, the other rapidly infested by a black stain spreading across the body, robbing it of any features as it swiftly became completely blackened, a void in the shape of a female body. The glowing body fell from Kuzuki’s hand as he backed away, resting on the ground at the feet of the original. </p><p>Meanwhile, the tainted Avenger bubbled, the dark tar like substance covering her swelling and stretching all over. Her entire body inflated like a balloon, with some parts doing so more than others, the arms, legs and torso becoming unrecognizable as they expanded.</p><p>Then it exploded. </p><p>Hitting the ground, Kuzuki laid himself flat as the concussive force washed over his head, ruffling his hair and deafening his ears but doing little more. On the other hand, Shirou was hammered and thrown onto his back, landing on the stone tiles while his breath was forced out of his lungs, his body sliding backwards. Wheezing painfully, it took a minute or two for him to get back up, his shoulder blades and butt aching as he recovered. </p><p>Kuzuki, who stood up faster, first noticed that the explosion had left the glowing Avenger untouched, and that the glow seemed to have completely faded from that copied Avenger’s body. Now, it was only what looked like a normal flesh and blood Servant, with no transparency or glowing dust floating around it. With her eyes closed and unwounded body, she simply looked like she was asleep on the ground, a relaxed face without a hint of a snarl. She also seemed different than before in a few places, such as the hair, the face, as well as the fact that she was naked. </p><p>Then he turned to where the other Avenger had exploded, and he was met with the sight of another her, a far cry in appearance from the one lying down on the ground. White, silky hair flowed like a river from her scalp to her chest, neat and straight instead of the wild and unruly strands they have behaved like before. Her skin was unnaturally pale to the point it was alabaster, a milky whiteness that matched Illya’s own, but instead of the smooth naturalness of the homunculus, it was instead shiny, almost as if it were made of porcelain. No trace of the wounds from the fights earlier remained on her body either, a whole, unblemished body with all arms and legs attached perfectly. However, veins of shifting crimson ran up all the way around her body, the colors within moving discretely as they appeared on her arms, legs, waist and neck like snakes, with some even on her left cheek. A stray vein connected from her chest to her left eye, giving her the appearance of a scar. She was clothed, unlike her counterpart on the ground, but they were also a black and red, her chest covered with cloth that resembled a heavy woolen sweater cut out to form a circle of fabric to function as a tube top, vertical red lines cutting the black fabric on it. </p><p>A black choker with jagged red lines wrapped around her lower neck, the material going further down and covering the base of her neck just above the collarbone in a semicircle. In the middle, a red diamond shape sat on the choker, right where her throat began from the bottom of the neck.The sleeves on her left arm also sported a similar pattern, though they rotated around her arm diagonally instead of cutting across directly, while the right arm instead had a short sleeve that connected to the tube top with a strip of fabric in the front, a leather shoulder-pad attached to it with segmented leather armor plates that stopped just above the elbow. The black sleeve it was attached to circled the entire upper arm but stopped at the armpit above and the elbow below. Incidentally, it seemed like her chest had marginally increased in size, but Kuzuki wasn’t exactly sure of that.</p><p>Instead of a loincloth hanging off a belt with climbing fabric on her hips up to the middle of her belly and flaring dress sides to the right and left, instead there was a compact latex like material covering her sides and crotch as clothing, with red lining the edges of the material, her belly button exposed as the sides rose a bit higher than the middle, covering her the slight bulge of her hip bone. Red lines on the shiny latex-like material outlined her body, drawing attention to it provocatively. Her tights rose even higher than before, going all the way up until it was almost connected with the latex undergarment, and it was still made of the same silky, opaque thin fabric that exposed the skin beneath a haze of black, except there were strips of latex going up the sides as well, with a thin red band going around her thigh and her calves, pinching the flesh more tightly than the rest. The tights transitioned smoothly into leather shoes that conformed tightly to her legs and feet, the collar going diagonally over her ankles like soccer cleats, and the bottom of her footwear was flat unlike before where it had a thick platform and a cone heel. </p><p>Raising her head, she opened her eyes, the bright red iris showing itself, pupils of black standing out in the vivid sea of vermillion. Shards of green like emerald crystals flecked the red, which Kuzuki wasn’t able to make at all from the distance they were at. </p><p>All of sudden he was able to see them as the red eyes appeared right in front of him, the green flecks crystal clear to him as he was only separated by mere inches. </p><p>Looking down, he looked at the hand protruding through his stomach, going all the way up to the forearm, penetrating through the back and displacing his spine. Losing all feeling in his legs, he slumped on Avenger, crumpling over her as he leaned over her shoulder.</p>
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<a name="section0179"><h2>179. 179</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 179</p><p>Struggling to stay conscious in the throes of death, Kuzuki launched a fist into the newly risen Avenger’s side, hoping to inflict a grievous wound on her. With the distance between them, it would be impossible to dodge unless she pulled out her hand from his stomach. In that case, his other hand circling from the back for the base of her spine would catch her.</p><p>Yet it was stopped in its tracks like a mother catching a baby’s hands, first the right fist that was supposed to crush her sides, then the spear hand with the fingers aimed at her spinal cords, one single arm moving within the span of a second to block both blows with god-like speed. Kuzuki could feel the wind batter his face as she moved, his glasses knocked askew. Abstractedly, he noted that his fist was crushed, along with the fingers in his left hand, and they dropped to his sides, the strength in them spent. </p><p>Without warning, he pushed his head forward in a headbutt, acting with a formidable drive that refused to let her go untouched as his forehead descended on her nose. If his hands were crushed, and he couldn’t move his legs, he would use his head. It was logical, yet also foolhardy. </p><p>In response, she pulled out and moved back. </p><p>His guts spilled out on the floor as he fell forward with the momentum of his headbutt, blood and intestinal juices mixed together spilling onto the sacred temple grounds. His head smacked on the stone tiles with a clear crack, his body still as stone. </p><p>“k, KUZUKIIII!!!”</p><p>His voice tearing with anger, Shirou ran forward blindy. A shoddy projection of a bokken appeared in his hands, his mind too clouded by rage to properly reinforce it. He was confused when his eyes were abruptly covered with what felt like slender fingers wrapped around his face.</p><p>A second later, the bokken flew away as his grip loosened, the wooden sword spinning upwards into the air until it smacked into the roof of the corridor, snapping in half and landing back on the ground in two pieces. </p><p>Shirou himself was caught by Avenger, and slammed into the ground bodily. With one single hand on his forehead, he felt himself stop dead in his tracks, then go weightless as Avenger pushed him down, his legs flying upwards while his head descended faster than the rest of his body with her hand pushing him. </p><p>He felt his vision black out for a moment, a violent shock running through the back of head and jarring his brains. In reality, he had landed on Kuzuki’s still warm body in front of Avenger, with the flesh saving him from certain death. If he had been slammed into the stone floor, he was sure to sustain heavy cranial damage and fractures from the back of his skull to his entire spine when he impacted on the tiles. </p><p>His body knocking into Kuzuki’s body only made the teacher elicit a weak whimper, more blood squirting from the gory wound in his stomach as he clung to the last thread of consciousness, the pain and agony pushing away his ability to think. With one fluttering eye on the verge of shutting, he glimpsed a silver sabaton behind Avenger manifest out of thin air. </p><p>“MORDRED!”</p><p>Avenger’s grip on Shirou loosened at the sound of the shrill cry, dropping the boy and swiveling around  just in time to catch the blade of Excalibur swung horizontally at her in a forceful slash. </p><p>Unnoticed by her, a small portal at ground level opened, with dark turquoise ripples fringing it. From within the circle of darkness, an emerald bolt lanced out and struck her ankles. </p><p>Unbalanced, all it took was a triple simultaneous activation of Mana Burst as Saber applied it on her arms, waist and legs, the strength solely focused on driving away Avenger. With a burst of displaced air, she went flying and smashed into the far wall lining the border of the temple. </p><p>Letting out a ragged breath, she lowered her sword, limping on her left leg as she stood between the hole in the wall where Avenger had broken through and Shirou. </p><p>“Avalon.”</p><p>Unable to spare any strength to speak more, she left Shirou to figure it out as she stood warily, watching the wall and the boundary for any signs of Avenger. </p><p>From behind her, Shirou could see the unhealed wounds that still bled on her legs, the red lines scored by the razor sharp cards of Ruler, with parts of her dress blackened from near misses by the exploding red cards. It was also well that he couldn’t see her face from the front, because it was still a mess, her nose straightened but still leaking trails of red from her nostrils, one eye bruised until it was a barely open from the puffy swelling surrounding it, the other obstructed by a cut just above her eyebrow bleeding droplets of liquid into her eyes. She could still feel a faint ringing in her head, and the lightheadedness made it hard to stand without swaying from side to side. Nevertheless, she was determined to defend her Master, recovered or not. </p><p>Reminded by her tip, Shirou turned his gaze away from her back and looked back at Kuzuki’s body, the skin turning pale as his blood leaked away. Closing his eyes and focusing his mind, the tips of his fingers pointed at Kuzuki as his Magic Circuits warmed up again, this time properly forming the image in his mind and going through each step. Holding the golden scabbard in his mind, everything was replicated down to the smallest detail, the years it spent dwelling in his body etching it’s existence into his soul until he was intimately familiar with it, perhaps the only person alive who could boast such a connection with a fae relic. </p><p>The space in front of his hand warped and distorted, a warm light filling the air as an oval space filled with blue bolts, golden particles gathering around the crackling area. In a matter of seconds, the legendary scabbard was made, and without sparing a moment more, Shirou pushed it down into Kuzuki’s body. </p><p>The dying man could barely feel anything at that point, coldness filling his body as his mind retreated into darkness. Caster, Saber, Shirou, Ryuudou Temple, everything faded away. Just before he felt the last string tethering him to his body cut, a rush of heat filled his body, calling his spirit back to it, reaffirming his will to live as he drifted into a fitful slumber instead of the sleep of death. His stomach started aching, a slow fire building up in his abdomen, but the fact that he felt pain even in his sleep proved that he was still alive.</p><p>From the outside, one could see his body start to knit itself back together, the copy of Avalon doing its job as he was slowly put back together, piece by piece. Granted, it wasn’t pretty, and he was still in danger of dying, but the bleeding had stopped, courtesy of Caster expending her energy to perform some basic first aid. Beyond that, she was unable to do anything more as she handed over the rest to Avalon, gambling on it’s immense regenerative capabilities.</p><p>Shirou and Saber weren’t given a chance to catch their breaths. The moment Shirou gave Kuzuki Avalon, Avenger pounced on them. </p><p>Swinging her sword as fast she could, Saber reacted and leapt back, covering Shirou and Kuzuki as her sword made an arc in the air, before she transitioned into a swift stab accurately aimed at where Avenger dodged as she twisted in the air to avoid the slash. </p><p>Unfortunately, her resistance was futile. For the second time of the night, Avenger grabbed Excalibur with her bare hands, her other already on course towards Saber’s face. </p><p>With startling speed, Saber dropped low, releasing Excalibur and instead pummeling Avenger with her fists. </p><p>The move came by surprise, but Avenger met it calmly, hurling away Excalibur as she knifed Saber’s wrist with superior speed, breaking her left hand, then parried the right fist as she leaned in with her shoulder and after landing on the ground, shoved inwards. With her injuries slowing her down, Saber couldn’t do anything to counter.</p><p>Shirou ducked as his Servant went flying over his head into the wall, her breastplate cracking from the force exerted by the shoulder ram as she was sent shooting further away than the first time. A couple of trees toppled behind Shirou in the distance, the thundering crash unable to distract him from the sight of Avenger’s red eyes turning to fixate on him. </p><p>Trying to stand up, he found his legs weak and unresponsive, but he gritted his teeth and rose up anyways, only to slip on the slick puddle of blood that was carpeting the floor, courtesy of Kuzuki and the hole in his stomach. Flailing his hands, he landed back on his ass. </p><p>It took a moment for his brain to process that Avenger was now standing right in front of him, and that he was missing part of his right hand, including the thumb and index finger. </p><p>In the heartbeat when he slipped, Avenger had dashed forward and sliced the air with her bare hands, using enough force to chop off part of his hand that was stuck up in the air to counteract his body falling for the sake of balance. If he hadn’t slipped, the upper half of his head would be gone. </p><p>Such miracles never came twice in a row, and he found nowhere to dodge as her leg came down in a crushing stamp. </p><p>The sound of shattering bones and squelching meat filled the air as Shirou’s thigh turned into splatters of flesh and blood, the jagged bone clearly exposed in the middle. Retaining enough presence of mind to move, he had barely been able to shove his body and Kuzuki’s body under his out of the way, the pool of blood lubricating the tiles and actually assisting him, but instead of his stomach, her leg had instead claimed his right leg. It was better than being stomped into two, but not by much. </p><p>A scream wormed its way into his throat, but he didn’t have the leisure to release it as he traced the sword Caster had given him to trace on that night. It was filled with holes, hollow and weak, but through tear-filled eyes, he was able to see it break after fending off a single punch. The shock tore through his arms, his right hand already in agony after being sliced, his leg screaming and yowling through his nerves as bolt after bolt of pain made its way through his body, but he was already tracing the same hollow Noble Phantasm again. Beneath him, he could feel Kuzuki’s body disappear as he fell back on stone tiles, Caster finally gathering enough energy to transport him elsewhere, but she could do little to help Shirou escape. </p><p>With what precious little strength she had left, she channeled the leylines through her staff, her left arm spontaneously combusting from the overuse of her own physical container as a conduit. Fighting through the sensation of searing heat, she stretched a barrier over Shirou, the same one that her Noble Phantasm allowed her. Sweat evaporated from her body as the flames consumed her, the orange flames crawling up her shoulder as her fair skin dripped onto the floor like wax. </p><p>It blocked the second punch that came, Shirou unable to trace the sword in time. The air rippled with the shockwave of the blow, Shirou wide-eyed at the invisible barrier stopping the fatal blow in its tracks. Turning around, he started crawling away, blood trailing from his hand and leg, ignoring the sensation of the flesh tearing loose from his right stump as most of his leg detached and fell on to the ground. </p><p>Even with pain stabbing his body like heated knives, he still couldn’t stop clinging to one thought. </p><p>He had to save them. </p><p>Right now, he wasn’t moving because he wanted to save himself. It was to put distance between him and Avenger so he would have time to trace the weapon he needed to defeat her. In his half-delirious mind, he could picture one thing that could destroy her, a weapon wielded by an immensely powerful Servant that he had witnessed before with his own eyes. It didn’t matter that he’d never tried to project it, it didn’t matter that he had tried and failed to project Caster’s low-level Noble Phantasm catalyst. He would do it, or die trying. </p><p>From the start, being saved by someone on the roof of that school building, he had demonstrated his lack of power to act and contribute in the Holy Grail War over and over again. His heart demanded he save as many as he could, but the body was weak. </p><p>If he could turn that around right here and stop Avenger here, to save Caster, Kuzuki and Saber, his death was nothing. </p><p>As he crawled, he summoned the image of the weapon in his head, the shape, form and design it had been created with, each line and curve taking shape in his head. <br/>Judging the concept of creation.</p><p>It was not a sword, but something used on horseback, ending a sharp point that could pierce any armor in the era it was most widely used in. </p><p>Hypothesizing the basic structure.</p><p>A long cone, with a flaring guard, red spikes menacingly arranged on the body.</p><p>Duplicating the composition material.</p><p>He didn’t know, but he filled it in with the material that made up Avalon, performing a makeshift replication as he filled in the information from the scabbard onto the weapon for this section.</p><p>Imitating the skill of its making.</p><p>The fae relic was surely one of the greatest artifacts made, and he applied it to the weapon. The process of creation imbued his mental blueprint with proof, strength that affirmed its existence, even if it was from something else entirely.</p><p>Sympathizing with the experience of its growth.</p><p>The history of the weapon, it’s experiences in the hands of it’s wielders. There was no experience he could put in aside from his own and what he had seen of his Saber in his dream, and it failed to click. With no time to agonize over this step, he moved on.</p><p>Reproducing the accumulated years. </p><p>This was something he simply could not do. The Mystery imbued wasn’t properly imaginable, and unless he had a convenient tool that could just record a weapon’s spiritual weight, he couldn’t do it. As such, he just put in as much Mystery as he dared. </p><p>Excelling every manufacturing process.</p><p>A redo. This was essentially him rechecking everything and then applying everything into the real thing, putting the blueprint into practice on the block as he ‘excelled’ the original six steps. There was no easy way to describe it, but the closest thing that could be said to be an approximation was that he was making it more defined. To exist in the real world and persist without being crushed by Gaia, it had to have substance, he was basically adding that in the final step. </p><p>Through the adrenaline-fueled haze that kept his body running, he watched as the weapon took shape in his hands, the pain doing nothing to stop him. </p><p>Avenger advanced on Shirou after getting stopped by Caster’s momentary barrier. She was unhurried, casually strolling on the trail of blood left behind by his body, confident that he was unable to escape. The moment she sensed his Magic Circuits opening though, she leapt forward.</p><p>Blue bolts of energy lanced through the air around Shirou, dancing around him as they disturbed prickled the grass he was crawling on. His face was lit up, his pupils reflecting the blue light as his body turned feverish, the blood leaving his body failing to counteract the massive rise in temperature from his Circuits straining themselves beyond reason. Seeing the world blur in front of his eyes, he chose to close them, focusing solely on the feeling clenched in his mental hands, the weapon he was holding that would defeat Avenger. Putting all the discomfort he felt to the side, he tugged on his Circuits, willing them to perform at their best, believing that the weapon would appear in his hands from the air itself.</p><p>“Trace On.”</p><p>Final brilliant flash lit up the clearing as all the jagged bolts converged into the long rod of energy taking shape in his hands, a brief beacon of light that lit up the trees and temple buildings. <br/>Just as Avenger was about to bring her leg crashing down on his head, she felt a pinprick tingle of her senses, and her head whiplashed to the right. </p><p>Floating in the air, a translucent image of Marmyadose was taking shape. </p><p>Craning her neck, she bent her back, forming a U-shape as she dodged in anticipation of the golden beam. In exchange, less force went into her kick, her foot going off course as she moved. </p><p>Shirou was too engrossed in the process of tracing to notice his ear getting pulled off as her foot clipped the back of his ear and ripped it loose, a empty hole now visible on the right of his head as a tuft of auburn hair floated to the ground, sticking to the blood on the ground. </p><p>Meanwhile, the blast never came. Instead, the Marmyadose that was forming dispersed without a sound, simply a bluff from Caster who didn’t have enough energy to even throw a bullet of ether. <br/>Realising it, Avenger sank her body to straddle Shirou and obliterate his head with a punch, but she realized the boy was already on his back facing her, with something in his hands that almost completely blocked her view of him. </p><p>Of course, she ignored it and punched him. </p><p>Her hand scraped against a red crystalline spike, the tip failing to penetrate her skin as it disintegrated into dust after snapping off in the middle, and then her fist made a dent on the metal of the weapon, sliding on the surface to make a hole in the ground right next to Shirou’s head. </p><p>Using the lance he had just traced, Shirou parried her and activated it at once, putting all his remaining strength into one final gambit. </p><p>The traced Rhongomyniad was heavily imperfect, the red spikes crumbling to the touch from Avenger’s punch, even denting the main shaft and making an unsightly mark on it that would never appear on the real thing. He was keenly aware that it was ‘hollow’, something that wasn’t even qualified to output 10% of what the original could manage, and it certainly wasn’t going to tear the sky apart and whip up a storm like he had seen on that fateful night on the school rooftop. Still, he had to believe it was enough for Avenger. He’d come so far, using the hard-earned seconds given to him and the energy he had left to create this imitation. If it failed here, it was over for him. And not just for him, but everyone in Ryuudou Temple too. </p><p>So it would work, because it was the only way they would be saved. </p><p>For the first time since he lost his leg, he felt the adrenaline start ebbing away, the injuries all over his body making their presence known as he registered the lost ear, the fingerless hand, the absence of a leg. The loss of all that blood was making him lightheaded, and the fever brought on by his still burning Circuits didn’t help. Growling, he gnashed his teeth firmly as he glared straight at Avenger, her second fist coming down in slow motion for him. He could feel mana surging through the black lance, awaiting his signal to let loose and consume the area in destruction, mana laced winds that tore apart the clouds. </p><p>Struggling to breathe, he screamed the spell out with his raw throat. </p><p>“Split the heavens and earth, RHONGOMYNIAD!”</p><p>The world turned white in front of him, and then his eyelids closed shut.</p>
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<a name="section0180"><h2>180. Chapter 172</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 172</p><p>It was a cold night in Fuyuki, but Illya didn’t feel the temperature, encased in her Servant’s arms as they soared through the air back to the mansion in the forest on the outskirts of the city. The wind passed her face as they sailed through the air, but having spent most of her life in the freezing wastes of the Einzbern land located somewhere in Germany, it did little to her except ruffle the white hair that escaped the purple fur ushanka she wore. </p><p>They were rapidly covering distance despite how far away the Magus Association’s safehouse was from the Einzbern mansion, and she was free to think back on the events that occurred earlier while Ecchan traveled, her eyes vigilant as they dipped to the surface and jumped back into the air on the tops of the many high-rise buildings that dotted the landscape. </p><p>After talking with El-Melloi and establishing a working relationship with their faction, the pair had been about to go home when Archer had served up food to the starving members of the Magus faction that had barely anything to eat after the battles they had been through. On top of that, they had just had their main base of operations wrecked and trashed, turning into a battleground for a free for all between the various Masters in the Holy Grail War. It was a disaster for their side, losing the advantages the base had granted them, as well as the assets and resources stored there. Though they were far from done, it was still a major setback to their plans, and it weakened their positions against the other forces at play in this war as well. Thus, it was reasonable for them to feel depressed and tired from the problems that were besieging them on all sides. To top it off, they had lost Kairi Sisigou as well, with his status unknown to them, so it was hard not to be discouraged or at least a little frustrated. </p><p>A warm meal was highly welcome to them, and they had immediately dug in after a quick ‘itadakimasu’ from Rin. Archer had also prepared a meal for Illya, to her surprise, and she found no reason to refuse it, so she ate along with them. To her even greater surprise, it was actually quite decent, at least on par with the skill that the chef maid and manservant homunculi back at her mansion displayed, if not more so. Ecchan was also unable to hold back, shimmering back into physical form and stealing a few bites from Illya’s meal. She had instantly demanded Archer cook more for her, and the Servant had obliged, more easily than Illya would have thought. She chalked it up to Archer liking cooking, or perhaps Ecchan was his type.</p><p>Then Ecchan had requested another dish, and another, and one more, until Illya almost felt compelled to bring out her Command Seals to stop her Servant. Thankfully, Archer seemed to know how to deal with Berserker, seemingly familiar with her type on some level. Instead of cooking her more food after the third dish of curry, he had instead pulled out manjū, filled with chestnut jam no less. Ecchan had quieted down after that, munching on the chewy Japanese sweet instead of asking for thirds and fourths. Illya had no idea where they had come from, but she was grateful for Archer averting the problem. Causing problems for her tentative allies right after negotiating an alliance was not the best idea. </p><p>After that little incident, Gray had come down, the Master of Assassin, and the two had become acquainted. She had forgotten to wear her hood in her carelessness, especially after waking up from a deep sleep, and Illya was able to get a good long look at her face. Her heart clenched a bit, even now when she thought back to it. </p><p>It was just like the face of her father’s Servant, just like Ecchan who was carrying her right now, and just like almost every other Servant in the war, though minor variations existed between them.</p><p>While she no longer really minded seeing those faces, it still inevitably led her back to thinking of her father, since these faces were all Saber’s, Kiritsugu’s Servant in the Fourth Holy Grail War. In addition, the real Saber herself was also here, though she didn’t seem to recognize Illya herself despite having met her before when she was young. Her appearance hadn’t changed much, so she supposed it was normal to not recognize her, considering how much time had passed since they had last met. A normal person wouldn’t be in this childish body, unaging with the proportions of a kid under twelve. In return, she hadn’t given any indication that she had recognized Saber either, letting the Servant believe that they had never met. </p><p>She did want to ask Saber about her father though, but she also needed to get rid of the adopted son who had miraculously wound up as her Master. Perhaps she could take their contract by force and make Saber hers. In that case, her alliance with the mages would prove useful. Though Saber might have allied with Caster, she believed Berserker was strong enough to face both of them at once, and with Assassin and Archer, their victory was all but assured. </p><p>Her small, pale lips curved into an eager smile at the thought of meeting the boy in battle again, the red hair and amber eyes fresh in her memory, an image that she would be hard-pressed to forget. </p><p>“Shirou…”</p><p>She tasted the name on her lips, of the one who had stolen everything precious from her. It was too bad that he seemed like a decent guy too, and ignorant of what he had done as well. He would just have to die, clueless of what he had done to her. She would try to make his death quick and painless, though she didn’t know if she could hold back when it came to it.</p><p>Or maybe it would be fine to toy with him for a while.</p>
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<a name="section0181"><h2>181. chapter 174</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 174</p><p>Stumbling through the damp sewers and dark tunnels, the ethereal legs carried her forward unceasingly, her entire body fading in and out of view like a mirage. With wounds covering her entire body, there wasn’t any trace of the armor that bound her anymore, leaving her with only pale skin, and the thin strips of cloth that covered her chest and waist. Black veins stood out on her pale skin, and every few steps she took, vomit and black bile was heaved up out of her mouth onto the ground, mixing in with the rest of the sewage that flowed down the long passageways. </p><p>Meandering mindlessly down the a random path, she drove forward as her mind remained in a haze, the pain from Kotomine’s ritual digging at her core, sending her further and further away from stability, while the lack of mana from the blocked connection hindered her ability to recover, if there even was a way to recover from it. As of now, she was simply clinging on to existence out of pure stubbornness, her Battle Continuation long exhausted a few hours back. </p><p>After walking for an interminable amount of time in the unlit tunnels of the sewers, with the stench of Fuyuki’s filth filling her nostrils all the while, she finally came to a stop at a dead end, rusted and worn bars gating the way ahead for her. At that point, she was unable to do little more than clutch at the gaps in the bars and stare listlessly at the darkness beyond it, her body sinking to the ground before she was even aware of it. Sliding down against the wall, she closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the cool metal, the stink and the wetness of the sewage against her body a feeling drifting to her from far away. </p><p>It was difficult to tell how much time had passed before she was found, but when her presence was finally detected by her searchers, she was merely a transparent ghost collapsed near the bars, the tethers tying her to the world all but gone, save for the grudge that composed her core weighing her down and struggling against all odds to last even just one second more. </p><p>Without a second of delay, the familiars squirmed into her see-through body, congregating where her Spiritual Core would be and turning into a mass of slimy bodies that assumed the shape of a ball there. A few moments passed with nothing happening as the worms tightened their grip on each other, locking into specific patterns with each other and weaving a tight thread of connection between each other and the Servant they were trying to rejuvenate from the doors of death. Once the lines were established, the procedures engraved in the mystical nature of the worm familiars began to function, enacting the core concept within the Mysteries of one of the three founding families. </p><p>It was just slightly at first, but eventually the tunnel began to turn a hue of vomit that dazzled the ceilings of the decrepit tunnel after reflecting off the surface of the sewage, casting everything in a sickly green light. Lines of turquoise shot through the worm’s bodies, turning them into the spitting image of circuit boards, the pathways coursing through the writhing pale skin that turned rigid upon contact with the mana that ran straight from the source through the familiars and into the Servant.</p><p>While ‘absorbing’ was meant to be more of a method that benefited only the magus, it was possible to apply this technique to others and enact bindings between the target and other things too. Reversed-spells in the Matou magecraft was simply giving to others, shedding curses, injuries or other spells from one’s self, and in this way it was also possible to provide assistance to others by letting them ‘absorb’ the magus’s own mana, or ‘absorb’ negative energy that was plaguing them. Gathering the fragmented pieces of her damaged Spirit Graph, he triggered the Grail’s summoning abilities to fill in the gaps, essentially performing a resummoning that melded the information from the Throne with her current Saint Graph, a lesser form of summoning that simply built on what already existed, which when combined with the energy link to the Grail and his presence as a Master to anchor her presence against Gaia, was enough.</p><p>By linking up with Avenger through the lust worms that were specifically engineered to create and process energy, it was possible to construct a conduit that would help siphon energy into the damaged Servants Spiritual Core and provide the Servant with enough energy to maintain her own existence, a sort of spiritual first aid that was only possible with the gems that had come from the Edelfelt manor, providing him with energy, as well as his own knowledge and techniques that allowed him to establish contact with her core and provide her with energy. After all, if he could create seals that could bind an entity such as a Servant, then building a link to one to provide them with mana wasn’t too hard in comparison.</p><p>With every passing moment, Avenger grew more and more solid, the lust worms encased by her steadily stabilizing body as they were burnt out one by one, spent from having to shovel a not insignificant amount of mana that was far above their usual limits, burdening them with a task that they could only complete by sacrificing themselves. The worms quite literally, burnt themselves out, and there weren’t even ashes when they self-destructed, turning into mana themselves to further feed Avenger’s growth and recovery, leaving behind a steadily smaller ball of worms wrapped around her Core that shrank as she grew stronger. </p><p>Soon, the ball of worms vanished beneath her solid skin as she appeared to fully regain corporeal form, appearing as a regular human now instead of a traditional ghost, though her looks and aura were anything but that of a normal person. It wasn’t long before her eyes fluttered open again, her mouth and nose sucking in a deep breath that she didn’t actually need, though her bodily reflexes demanded her to do so. Standing up, she stared at the grate that stood in her way. Casually gripping the iron bar in the top left with one hand, she pulled, and it came off like it was just sand, dust falling onto her head as the concrete anchoring the grate broke loose. She created a gap big enough to walk through, but just as she did so she heard something that made her freeze. </p><p>The scuttling of hard pincers against the wall, a staccato dripping that was like many needles thrown against the sewer fluids that oozed slowly past her ankles. When she looked back, there was an old man standing there, with not a single hair out of place save for the corner of his cloak that ruffled slightly as she turned, then turned smooth. It looked like he had always been standing there waiting for her to wake up, but he had definitely just arrived, Avenger was sure of it. </p><p>No longer under the influence of the armor that compelled her to act under the orders of Angra Mainyu, she didn’t attack him straight away, but she could easily sense that something was wrong with him. It took one to know another, and the air radiating of him was just as rotten as the filth in the sewers they were in, if not more so. Opening his rubbery mouth, he moved his lips and spoke to her first, initiating conversation after seeing that she was just standing there and staring at him. </p><p>“Good evening, Miss Avenger. I trust you are feeling well as of now?”</p><p>The polite greeting felt incongruous with his appearance and the environment they were in, but Avenger took it in a stride and was able to respond in kind.</p><p>“Who are you?” </p><p>Her head was still a bit fuzzy, though her condition was mostly fine at this point. She didn’t feel any aggression coming from the old man, and despite her position as an Avenger, she didn’t feel any need to kill the man in front of her, perhaps because he veered far from the qualities that she hated. It seemed likely that he was the one who had assisted her, so it was for the best that she refrained from laying her hands on her potential benefactor as well. </p><p>Seeing that she wasn’t acting strangely or in a hostile manner towards him, Zouken allowed a slight grin to slip on his face, his black sclera indecipherable as he answered her question. </p><p>“I am Matou Zouken, the patriarch of the Matou family. Perhaps you know of us from the Grail already?”</p><p>A quick search through her memories confirmed Zouken’s words as she browsed through the basic information given to her about the war, with the Three Founding Families included as part of the information package. In that case, why was he here, and saving Avenger of all things?</p><p>She voiced her thoughts, and Zouken answered them directly. </p><p>“Though I may be part of the Three Families, I still wish to win the Grail for myself, and though you may be a perversion of the rules, it would be a waste to let your talents disappear without using them to the fullest. Would you be interested in assisting me in this battle? In return, you can have your wish on the Grail.”</p><p>It was a blatant lie, but how would Avenger know? The information given to her from the Grail didn’t specify the sacrifice needed to achieve it’s true function, or the motive behind the creation of the Command Seals beyond being a mark of a Master and a contract of obedience. </p><p>While he waited for her to answer, he couldn’t help but think about the sequence of events that had led up to now. The machinations of the dark presence inhabiting the Grail had led to the rules of the Holy Grail War being broken, summoning forth two Extra classes that weren’t supposed to appear in a normal War. However, instead of seeing this as an error that required rectifying, like the Tohsaka’s might, he instead saw this as an opportunity that he could exploit. With knowledge of how the system worked and familiars that could be fashioned into Command Seals, he had started to scheme and plan to interfere in the War the moment that breach in the rules was apparent. </p><p>Getting Ruler was the first step, and influencing Sakura was also part of his set up as well. Though he had discarded the plan of nurturing Sakura as a vessel as well, he could keep her as a backup plan in case he was unable to obtain the Einzbern Master, or something happened to the true Grail vessel. It was unexpectedly easy to lay his hands on Ruler, with Avenger acting as the agent that allowed him easy access to Ruler’s unconscious body, and after a tense but swift operation, he was in control of Ruler and supplanting her obligation to the Grail. Being one of the original architects of the Holy Grail War had its perks, and his access to crucial information pertaining to the system was a massive boon that allowed him to achieve such feats as bending even Ruler to his will, though admittedly it was a half-baked job in the end. </p><p>The attack on his main source of familiar and constant guerilla strikes on his mana batteries in the form of his worms spread throughout the city constantly depleted his stocks, and in the end he was forced to constantly hunt for targets throughout the city to simply fuel his existence and create more familiars to bind him before they could be all destroyed. Rider’s actions set him back by quite a lot, and though he wasn’t forced into a corner, he was still heavily handicapped with the few resources that were available to him.</p><p>As a result, he was unable to control a Ruler at her full power. Instead, she had been reduced to a familiar that was barely a rank-up from a lower-class Phantasmal Beast in terms of power, with the majority of her skill and intelligence gone, though her unique talents and powers remained. He didn’t need to worry about the energy keeping her sustained since she was directly fueled by the Grail, but he didn’t have the energy to expend to keep her absolutely obedient to himself while in full possession of her faculties and strength, so he sacrificed most of her ability by allowing his worms to burrow into her and claim control over her container, turning her into a puppet that he could pilot without worrying about any deviations from his orders. </p><p>It was easy to control, but in the end the results that Ruler had produced were disappointing, though he was still able to salvage something from the mess she had wrecked, and to an extent, she was still usable, except in a vastly reduced capacity. At this point after her battle with the witchcraft user, it was doubtful that she could go head to head with a competent Sealing Enforcer, let alone a full-blown Servant. He placed her under hibernation so she could recover as much as possible to get her to peak condition when she could be deployed, and then went looking for replacements for the piece that he had just lost, so he could continue influencing the chess board. </p><p>This led up to now, with the spoils of war that he had taken from the mansion, along with the fruits of his labor that he had been stocking up ever since he was chased out of the mansion, serving as catalysts and fuel that allowed him to establish a link with Avenger and sustain her core that was about to fade away from the double-blow of Kirei’s exorcism and the loss of mana supply from the Grail, manipulated by All the World’s Evil into shutting off, cutting her of from any chance of recovery. If he had been a second late, it was likely that he would simply arrive at a mass of grudges that would eventually be anchored into the land as a spiritual taint from the death of Avenger, her only legacy left in the War. </p><p>That was not the case however, and he had managed to make it in time. He could sense his worms still inhabiting her container, suspended between the physical and spiritual, which would make it doubly difficult to remove from her if anybody wanted to cleanse her from his control. Slowly but surely, they were morphing into false Command Seals that would all but guarantee his control over her. The process was going smoothly, now all he had to do was stall for time and wait until the entire operation was completed. In the meantime, it would be best to present a polite facade and ask for her cooperation like she was just a normal rogue Servant without a Master. With any luck, they could formalize the contract and speed up the process, allowing him to establish dominance over her as soon as possible and prevent her from becoming a loose cannon. </p><p>While he was confident in his own prowess, he knew that Avengers were not to be trifled with  lightly, and the sooner that she was subdued, the better. Having a double-edged sword in his hand wasn’t something he wanted, and after seeing how easy it was to lose control of her even when under the thumb of the corrupted Grail’s dweller, he was even more anxious to crush her free will. He was perfectly willing to sacrifice her autonomy in battle in exchange for having a safe and malleable puppet to use, like Ruler had been. In addition, she was far stronger than Ruler, which was easily sensed by him, and she would still prove to be a powerful piece even if she lacked the ability to govern her decisions and employ tactics in fights. </p><p>Zouken stared at Avenger as she stood there silently, waiting for her to answer. While he didn’t have a concrete idea of her identity, just one look at her features was enough for him to make an educated guess, based on the obvious trend that he had observed from the other Servants. Well, it made no difference to him who she was in the end, since it wouldn’t matter after the Command Seals came into effect. </p><p>Then he felt it, the worms forming a full Circuit that morphed into a vessel for the mana that Zouken tricked the Grail into giving, leveraging the automatic systems dealing with the dispensation of Command Seals into investing them with a power that bordered on miracles. With this, he was able to control Avenger directly by siphoning the energy from the Command Seals to create an enchantment that bound her actions to his words, the worms functioning as the physical enchantment that the Seals were carved on. If need be, he could always reroute the energy from his half-dead Ruler’s back as well, and send it to Avenger to bolster his control over the Servant. </p><p>With the Command Seals finally in place, he was able to stop worrying about Avenger suddenly going berserk on him, and it was also the last step to solidify her efforts in recovery. Expending the equivalent of around half a Command Seal, he injected the mana into Avengers container and rejuvenated her to normal levels. Though she was able to maintain physical form, her mana reserves were running on fumes, but with the prana donation, she was now able to act as usual. </p><p>“I see.”</p><p>Abruptly, Zouken’s face twisted into a grimace, the cohesion in his body starting to fall apart as he sensed something very wrong occurring to the familiars in Avenger’s body. Confusion and fear warred in his mind, but he maintained rational judgement, quickly drawing on the energy from Ruler’s still remaining Command Seals to sustain himself and ward off the sudden pain that was spiking in his very soul. </p><p>Avenger simply watched as the old man convulsed in front of her, his skin rippling and stretching in unnatural ways as he suffered from the flames that scorched his familiar in her body, the natural consequence of inhabiting a Saint Graph fully corrupted by hatred against the very foundation of the system that birthed it. If Heroic Spirits were called forth by the dreams of humanity, then what was a Heroic Spirit which hated Humanity? It was a contradiction of the system that was originally meant to save Humanity from the Calamities, the great Beasts, but there were those who wished for humans to perish, and so in the same vein Avengers were a possibility, though impossible to call forth in normal circumstances. Their Saint Graphs were so warped to the point that just by existing, faint traces of grudge and hatred were left on the environment, and any humans close by were immediately affected by them, pushing them to the brink as heat filled their chests. </p><p>Zouken was no longer human, so he was actually well-protected from such effects, but after inserting the familiars straight into her chest, his lack of experience in dealing with an Avenger proved deadly. Just by being there, his worms were roasted alive, the Saint Graph a deadly poison and fire mixed together that completely screwed over his familiars and sent excruciating pain running up and down his body, or the collection of insects that served as tethers to anchor his soul to the world. More than that, a thick mixture of blazing curses were sliding down his veins, filling every inch of his body, including the familiars not currently present, with the novel experience of being burned from the inside out combined with the sensation of corrosion wearing and eating away at his body. </p><p>He had experienced plenty of pain before, and with each day his soul aged even further, an indescribable feeling that was the primary factor in driving him mad into obtaining the Grail for immortality, along with the fading memories of the Winter Lady. However, such intense suffering was a first for him, and the more his familiars succumbed to the blissful rest of release, the more in danger he was of actually dying. Some were literally dying from pure pain, bodies going into shock as the nerves overloaded, and he was not keen on finding out how it felt. </p><p>With a desperate swiftness honed by his overwhelming desire to live, he cut off the connections to him and Avenger one by one, leaving only the default line that would allow him to act as her anchor to the world while not providing her with energy. He was skilled enough to achieve something like this, so he could serve as proof of her existence to prevent Gaia from rejecting her while allowing the Grail to shoulder the bulk of her prana expenses. </p><p>However, this meant he lost the Command Seals binding her to him, the worms completely lost in her body as they were consumed by her Saint Graph and used to fill in the holes left in her. </p><p>If he hadn’t tried to stick his worms there, he wouldn’t have been spiritually attacked since Avenger didn’t wield such powers, but his direct interference with her Saint Graph placed himself in danger of the classes inherent nature, placing him in grave danger. It was an inevitable conclusion, as there was no other way he could have rescued her from the brink of dissolution. </p><p>Gradually, he felt the pain gripping his soul recede, the flames and corrosion vanishing as the false Command Seals left his grasp. The energy within the Circuit of worms gushed out, flowing into Avenger and nourishing her as the mana enriched her own stocks. All of the energy that had been meant to maintain the seal on Avenger’s free will was gone, ironically used to strengthen her instead. </p><p>If Zouken could sweat now, he would have, but there was still a chance that Avenger could be willing to work with him, and he wasn’t somebody who would back down so easily, since without her internal grudges harming him, there was little she could do now to actually threaten him. There was no harm in trying, even if the chances were small. Putting his body back together after the violent shake up it had received, he spoke to Avenger once more. </p><p>“Will you fight by my side?”</p><p>Before he could blink, he was already split in two.</p><p>A rusted broadsword bisected him cleanly from shoulder to waist diagonally, a breeze of wind moving the surface of the sewer waters, sending a few stray pieces of light trash tumbling around. Instead of the sleek black colors that it had possessed when she was alive, the Clarent was now a former shade of itself, the ceremonial sword no longer looking the least bit ceremonial. The once sharp was now blunt and chipped, looking like it hadn’t been polished for years. The engravings on the hilt had all but worn away, the red reduced to a splotchy brown, with pieces having flaked off entirely. The pommel was brutally treated, with every side conceivable flattened until the roundness that it once possessed was no longer visible. The most glaring defect of all though, was the tip of the blade. It was a break that started from a quarter of the blade, extending all the way up to where the edge curved to become a point. Unless it had met extremely excessive force, there was no way any sword would be broken like that. Jagged edges were all that remained, a crude, rough row of uneven spikes and broken steel that was far sharper than the actual edge itself.</p><p>Zouken’s body fell apart with that one slice, his familiars dissembling the physical representation as they fled into the murky liquid of the sewers, squirming and sliding as they slipped into hiding from Avenger. Some took to the sky too, their wings fluttering rapidly as they shot off, while others skittered across the dry walls, merging with the shadows until they disappeared from sight. In a matter of seconds, he had disappeared, with nothing left save for the putrid scent of his presence that mingled with the stench of the sewers. </p><p>Avenger stared as he made his escape, standing there silently. Once he was gone, Clarent disappeared from her hands as well, and she clambered through the opening in the sewer grate she had ripped apart. As if Zouken had never appeared, she continued onward, searching for an exit. With her energy supply to the Grail rebuilt by Zouken, she was free to exist as long as no one interfered with it, and Angra Mainyu could do little to break through it, since Zouken had used the most basic and deeply rooted systems that he was far from attaining control over.</p><p>With the Command Seals from Zouken and the armor from her summoner gone, she was free to act as she wished, and there was only one thing that she needed to do. </p><p>At the same moment of her full integration with her Spirit Graph and her revival, everyone felt it. </p><p>Saber shuddered as she leaned on Shirou’s shoulder up the stairs, but she passed it off as simply the pain from her wounds, continuing the stairs with her Master as if nothing had happened. </p><p>In her unconscious rest, Lancer’s floating consciousness turned restless, no doubt tossing and turning if she had a physical body. </p><p>Caster shivered, her eyes flickering about, but after checking her Bounded Field and finding nothing, she relaxed, attributing it to her shot nerves after the battle they had just fought.</p><p>The unease that Rider felt was transmitted to Sakura, expressing itself as a grimace which Shinji ignored as he took care of her.</p><p>“So, the secret boss has yet to be vanquished. Fufu, I will show her the true power of a Saber the next time we meet!”</p><p>“Mmmm, I might have to consume the forbidden ‘Infinity Blood’ (chestnut paste) next time to beat her.”</p><p>As expected, both Assassin and Berserker’s reactions were the same. </p><p>Eventually, they would all face Avenger one day, but for now the calamity of Arturias laid low, instead of going straight for the kill. After a while, she finally found what seemed like an exit. Popping open the manhole, she jumped straight up, bypassing the ladder and shooting into the air, then allowed the manhole to fall back in place as she turned into spiritual form mid-air, vanishing before anyone saw her.</p>
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<a name="section0182"><h2>182. Chapter 175</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 175</p><p>It wasn’t much, but he’d found something that he could possibly do, and so he got to work practicing as much as he could whenever he got the chance. Caster had switched up his training menu, making him focus on tracing, and he was now doing his best to trace a bunch of shinai, with one pile on his left being the originals, and the other, much smaller pile, being the traced copies. </p><p>Ever since the experiments last night, he had felt like he had broken through a roadblock, despite the massive fatigue and pain running through his whole body, and the quality of the resulting products that Caster had informed him about. They were inferior, but they were far better than a normal magus could do, and exceeded Caster’s expectations by a lot. She was convinced that he had some type of talent in this direction, and quickly set up training that would help him develop this particular quirk. </p><p>They had tried tracing a bunch of random objects, and they had mostly turned out the same, except for a few ordinary objects with little to no internal mechanisms. These normal objects included, combs, pins, towels and knives. Afterwards, they experimented with more advanced forms, but since Caster wanted him to have more practical and direct uses for his magecraft for the time being, she gave him swords to trace, planning to eventually have him trace her own catalysts to use if he could, though she highly doubted he would be able to do it within the span of the Grail War. Still, it was better than nothing, and even if he could only drag out a small portion of their strength, it would be good enough against magi and the like. </p><p>His reversal during his match with Saber also bothered him. Despite only having seen it in a dream, he was still able to trace her wooden practice sword very effectively, perhaps more effectively even than the shinai’s he had in front of his eyes right now. The smooth straight wooden grain with uneven red patterns wrapping around the entire blade was plainly visible in his mind’s eye, the crude guard and aged hilt fitting comfortably in his grip, the solid weight of the entire sword balanced in his hands.</p><p>With a start, he realized that he had already unconsciously traced out the sword, and it was actually in his hands, incongruously sitting there with the shinai he was supposed to trace resting beside him. </p><p>Lifting the piece of wood, he gave it a few experimental swings. The wooden edge felt balanced, even though he’d never used this sword before besides the brief scuffle with Saber during their training. It felt good to use, familiar, and before he knew it he was already standing up, performing practice katas and duplicating the forms he had seen in Sabers memory. Bleeding through, seeing what the owner had seen and experiencing how they had used it, it spurred him to copy the technique and retrace their skill. </p><p>Though he had been a third person bystanding throughout the entire dream, he had seen enough to nail down the basics of what Saber had practiced in the day that had lasted in the dream, and it was enough for him to perform something resembling her moves, though it was far from pinpoint accurate. </p><p>It felt good to move like that after sitting there and tracing over and over, and after the quick workout he was sweating slightly from his enthusiastic movements that made him stretch his muscles more than was necessary. Putting down the sword and dismissing it, he sat back down, taking a breather as he drew in deep breathes, laying on the tatami mats between the two piles of shinai on flanking him on either side. A pleasant lethargy descended on him, leading to his eyelids drooping low, the cool mats beckoning him to sleep after the long night he had. With little warning, he slipped off into unconsciousness, his mind dozing into the land of dreams. </p><p>A red field of flames, infernos raging in the former husks of buildings that once stood on a land in development. In the midst of the destruction, he stood there, a child all alone. There was no sign of anyone else, not his parents, not his friends, even strangers. They were all gone, reduced to ashes and blackened corpses, and he began walking aimlessly in the middle of the fiery graveyard. </p><p>He was the only one left, so he had to survive. It was a childish thought, but at the same time it was true as well. He didn’t want to burn up, but there was no one who could save him either. Wandering through the winding paths, passing rows of rubble and flickering fires, his feet constantly moving as all thoughts were wiped from his mind. He raised his eyes to the darkened skies, the sign of dark clouds promising rain that would wash away everything, the remnants of both land and people alike. He wouldn’t survive to see it though.</p><p>The perspective changed, and he realized he was lying on  his back without knowing it. The heat licked his body from all sides, and his mouth felt parched, unable to inhale or exhale. It hurt, but all he could do was sigh. The only thing left inside was emptiness, just the body left with the heart gone.</p><p>“Sh...rou…”</p><p>So close!</p><p>He almost lurched away, but Saber lifted her head before he did so. </p><p>“Caster has finished making dinner, and since there was no sign of you, I decided to inform you Shirou.”</p><p>Shirou sat up and smiled, a tinge of red on his face as he realized he had been caught sleeping during his magecraft practice.</p><p>“Thanks Saber. I just got a bit tired after not having enough sleep last night, so I accidentally nodded off.”</p><p>His words pacified Saber’s worry, and she nodded, getting up from kneeling in seiza and walked out the door.</p><p>“We’ll be at the dining hall Shirou. See you there.”</p><p>With that, she slid shut the shoji door, her footsteps softly padding until the sound tapered off.</p><p>Letting loose a large breath, Shirou lifted his head and lolled it up at the ceiling, letting the shinais he traced dissipate back into ether. The last time he had that dream was the day when he was stabbed through the heart, and he wasn’t sure if that had been ominous prophecy, or if it had simply been coincidence. The memories of that day would never truly fade, and revisiting it in his dreams had been a common occurrence in his childhood, though lately the frequency had greatly decreased. It was a reminder of what he had lost, and the reason why he lived as well.</p><p>Tracing Saber’s wooden sword when she was young, he stared down at the polished wood with several dents and nicks. It reflected the ceiling light, an oblong irregular oval of yellow light reflecting on the glossy oak. He looked at it, the room silent save for his breathing. </p><p>Then he dismissed the sword, standing up and headed for the dining hall where a warm meal and his Servant and friends were waiting for him, though Souichirou felt more like a mentor figure, making it a bit difficult to call him a friend.</p><p>As he left the room, a single pink petal floated to a rest within the room, sinking to the floor unnoticed as he turned off the lights and closed the door behind him.</p>
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<a name="section0183"><h2>183. Chapter 176</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 176</p><p>The clouds obscured the moon for a moment, darkening the forest leading up to Ryuudou Temple. When they passed and revealed the white moon’s glow again, a new figure stood at the foot of the stairs. Raising their head to look at the temple gate, they started heading towards, taking the stairs one by one without haste. The smooth click of tough leather soles clicked against the worn stone steps, forming a steady beat as she traveled upwards. </p><p>Before she reached a third of the stairs, she sensed a change in the air ahead. Craning her head, she saw a person walking through the gate, standing at the end of the stairs right in the middle, challenging her presence there. In her hands, a spinning, writhing long patch of air indicated the presence of something there, though it was hidden well. One look at her appearance though, and most people would guess that she was holding a sword. </p><p>Resplendent silver armour with blue lines forming the sigils of the fairies on the breastplate glinted clearly under the moonlight, blue and white silky fabric running down her legs beneath the metal plates at her sides. On her feet, greaves and sabatons stood guard, encasing the slender, feminine limbs that were wrapped in black tights during the daytime. Both hands were protected by gauntlets, the stiff finger joints doing little to impede her grip as she held her weapon with practiced ease. Everything else remained unarmored, the plain yet elegant dress beneath the armor exposed all around her body. On her head, a tight bun wove her hair into a spiral behind her head, fastened with a blue ribbon to prevent the blonde threads from interfering with her fights. Yet a single strand poked upwards from the top of her head, waving loosely in the night breeze. </p><p>Emerald eyes fiercely stared down at the shadowed figure below on the steps, conveying her determination before words were even spoken. </p><p>“Intruder, state your class before you go further.”</p><p>A clear voice pierced the air, easily reaching the person below her. In response, they moved from the shadows, exposing their face and appearance. </p><p>“Avenger, Mordred Pendragon.”</p><p>Saber’s face contorted in shock as the modern business suit cut to her son’s figure melted away, replaced by the battle attire that the Knight of Rebellion wore in her later years. A sleek black set of plates that concealed the gender of the wearer, compact and utilitarian in design, with only the helm featuring a more expressive form with the suggestive shape of a dragon sitting atop her neck, complete with two horns jutting from either side. Instead of having her entire body covered however, like Saber remembered, there were areas that remained bare, sacrificing protection for flexibility, shedding weight for speed. It made for an odd image, with the loose strips of fabric intermixed with the hard armor, but it also mirrored Sabers own set that covered several crucial areas. </p><p>Saber settled into a guarded stance, both hands on her sword as she narrowed her eyes against the enemy, but she responded in kind. </p><p>“My class is Saber, my name, Arturia Pendragon.”</p><p>She would never have expected Avenger to suddenly arrive on their doorstep, her identity actually being less of a surprise considering what they knew. Still, if she came looking to kill them, then she would do her utmost to defend their base and protect her Master and his allies. Behind her, she could feel the presence of Caster monitoring everything that was occurring. She knew that it would be useless, but she spoke up anyways.</p><p>“Take one more step Avenger, and you will face my blade.”</p><p>If she heard the warning, she gave no sign of it, steadily advancing up the stone stairs with the broken Clarent in her hands, the eye slits dotted with two ruby circles glowing within, crimson lightning starting to dance randomly across the black armor plates. The breeze stilled, and the leaves scraped across the floor away from her, settling under the eaves of the trees next to the stairs as her presence repelled them. </p><p>Her blood ran cold as she felt Avenger’s eyes affix themselves on her, a crushing weight falling on her back as the memories rushed through her mind. The effect Avenger had on her was noticeable as well, though Caster was already mitigating it as best as she could with her blessings and unique magecraft operating through the Bounded Field that was derived from her Noble Phantasm. Stilling the trembling in her hands, she controlled her breathing, refusing to allow her emotions to overtake her as she prepared to intercept the dark warrior advancing on her. </p><p>Caster sat in the middle of the courtyard behind Saber, just inside the gate she was defending. Her full uniform was on, instead of the casual white dress she usually wore, the navy blue hat balanced on her head with the tip hanging out far ahead, a blue bow ribbon over her chest and mini-doublet the same color as her hat slung over her shoulders. The shortsword sheathed on the back of her waist wasn’t the only weapon she had on display, with several other catalysts stabbed into the ground around her for easy access, and golden rings floated around her, emitting a low-pitched buzz as they hovered in the air. The other residents of the temple had been put to sleep, so she was free to concentrate her energy into the problem that lay ahead, monitoring the entire situation from her location in the courtyard. Besides Saber and Avenger, she was also keeping an eye on Shirou and Kuzuki. If anything happened on either side, she was in position to provide assistance, and giving advice or a quick boost in power could be easily achieved.</p><p>Shirou dashed through the trees right next to Kuzuki as they headed for the spot where Caster said the enemy would be. They had no idea who it was, but them appearing at the same time as Avenger was too much of a coincidence, and they were sure that the two were somehow connected, though it wasn’t out of the possibility that it was someone completely unrelated. If it was another Master though, they would retreat and alert Caster to the other Servant’s potential presence. If it was a magus, they would try to engage, and fall back if it seemed unwinnable. Or at least, that was the idea.</p><p>In reality, Shirou could feel his heartbeat unnaturally in his chest, even with him sprinting to keep up with his teacher and now fellow Master, his hands cold and clammy despite the enchantments woven around his body to ward off harm. One moment they had been sitting there eating dinner and chatting pleasantly, the next Caster had bolted upright and left the dining hall, telling them to follow suit while the monks all collapsed in their seats, falling over like knockout gas had been released. Which in a sense, was essentially what occurred magically. </p><p>Knowing that Caster was there watching did nothing to ease his knotted guts, but there was nothing else he could do. He wouldn’t flinch in the face of danger, regardless of the consequence he would still plunge to meet it, since at most he would only sacrifice his life. It was really a small price to pay for the safety of others. So he would jump into a fight with a mage far out of his depth with no complaint, this time without being ambushed or attacked out of nowhere. He had been dragged into this war without his free will, but he was going to stay in it and save as many as possible by ending it without letting the Grail get into the wrong hands. </p><p>The old man watching their progress through his familiars smiled. The night was just getting started.</p>
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